


Halfway Home

by MicheTS



Series: Carmilla Karnstein Vigilante of Styria City (Batmilla AU) [1]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Aged Up LaFerry, Batmilla Begins, Carmilla is charming, Danny is a douche canoe, Eventual Smut, High School Flashbacks, I am my own beta (sung to the tune of I am my own grandpa), Laura is Laura, Like sorry its the last chapter eventual, Multi, Slow Burn-ish, Superhero/Vigilante/Cop AU, You may notice some of Laura’s vocal tics aren’t present, and fuck Joss Whedon, like real eventual, this is because fuck JK Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:20:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26513581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicheTS/pseuds/MicheTS
Summary: Trust fund dilettante, Carmilla Karnstein has returned to Styria City after an 8 year absence. At the same time, a vigilante is running loose, trying to clean up the crime ridden streets. Can Detectives Laura Hollis and Danny Lawrence put their shared past with Karnstein behind them long enough to figure out the explosive case of who is terrorising Karnstein enterprises? Or will the past threaten to bring every one down?
Relationships: LaFontaine/Lola Perry, Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein, Laura Hollis/Danny Lawrence (past)
Series: Carmilla Karnstein Vigilante of Styria City (Batmilla AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1963741
Comments: 54
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

“Go-od morning short-stuff,” Detective Danny Lawrence announced her arrival by forcefully setting a cup of coffee on her partner’s desk and crossing round to her own.

Laura jolted in her seat and stuffed the newspaper she was reading into the trashcan at her feet, “I have a name that I know you’re more than capable of using.” She tutted as coffee splashed over the rim of the paper cup and on to her desk.

Danny raised her eyebrows with amused suspicion as she crammed her athletic, 6ft frame into her chair, “If I didn’t know better Detective _Hollis_ , I’d say you were doing something over there you shouldn’t be.” Danny’s suspicion eased into an agitated concern as she observed her partner. Laura looked exhausted. The only word Danny could use to describe her was...crumpled, both her clothes and her person in general. Laura had been growing distant and less present for months, but since the incident last week, it was like she just wasn't trying at all.

“Sorry," Laura cringed, "I just wasn’t expecting you all chipper and sloshing coffee everywhere.” She felt an embarrassed blush creep up her neck. Startled was something she felt often by Danny these days. Maybe it was because she was seemingly always there. Her hyper-vigilant gaze watching her constantly. It was like Danny was waiting for the next crack to appear. Waiting to swoop in and pick up the pieces like she usually did.

“Reading this morning’s paper huh?” Danny asked, glancing at her own copy. She flicked through the first few pages derisively before folding and shoving the paper to the far corner of her desk.

The headline on the front page was as it had been for the last few months, something about the ski-masked vigilante that had appeared in Styria City. It was an op-ed piece about whether said vigilante was friend or foe. As far as Danny was concerned, they were foe. Vigilantes did not make a cop’s job easier, no matter what public opinion or her partner may say.

Laura ran a hand through her way past needing a haircut, unkempt hair and took a shaky sip of her coffee. She hadn’t slept great last night. Hell, who was she kidding, she hadn’t slept great in months. Not since she started sleeping alone. It was starting to catch up with her and she was becoming acutely aware that it showed. The last thing she needed was to start the day with yet another passive aggressive argument with Danny. Instead, Laura opted to shrug in response, worried that anything she said would be twisted against her.

“I dunno why you are so obsessed with that _freak_ in a mask.” Danny said as she busied herself sorting through the neat piles on her desk, looking for a specific case file.

“Don’t call them a freak,” Laura replied, “they saved my life just last week.”

“Hell, Laur’, if that’s all a girl has to do to impress you. You should be head over heels about me.” Danny gave Laura an enthusiastically sarcastic thumbs-up.

Laura opened her mouth to defend herself, to tell Danny not today (please), but Captain Manning called for them from her office. Laura closed her mouth instead and said a silent thank you to the Captain for deescalating that one before it could turn into yet another bickering spat. She reminded herself that the partner transfer papers were still in the top drawer of her desk for when she finally stopped being a damn coward and got around to filing them.

“Sit down,” the Captain motioned to the two empty seats in front of her desk.

Laura slumped into one chair and watched as perfect posture Danny sat attentively in the other,

“I’ve got an assignment for you two.” The Captain continued as she reached across her desk and handed them a manila folder each.

“Bullshit,” Danny muttered under her breath as she flipped open the folder and saw the brief, “with all due respect, Ma’am, this isn’t a job for two detectives.” She tried her hardest to keep from sounding insubordinate. Insubordination was Laura’s speciality these days, not hers.

“This feels a little like you’re benching us Ma’am.” Laura nodded in agreement. She ignored the sideways glance Danny was throwing her. Laura knew that this bullshit assignment was probably because of the trouble they got in last week. She knew that Danny was thinking that too. After their run in with the vigilante, it had taken Laura hours to convince the Captain that she really was ok to return to active duty and this was the first case they would catch. A non-case.

Work was all that was keeping her going at this point. Laura couldn’t stand being in that apartment on her own. Not since Danny had left. It didn’t quite feel like home anymore. If she was being honest, it hadn’t felt like home in some time, even when Danny had been there.

Captain Manning closed her eyes and sighed, “Do you think I want the only two detectives I have willing to actually work a case heading up the security at some trust fund baby’s welcome home dinner?” She didn’t wait for a response, the Captain removed her glasses and gave them a pointed stare “No. No, I definitely do not. But Karnstein asked for the two of you personally and I’m not about to argue with the wealthiest person in Styria City.”

Det. Hollis tried to stop the smug smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. It wasn’t all her fault, for once. They had been requested. Ha! The smugness curdled to anxiety in seconds when it set in just who had requested them.

Danny huffed and flicked through the briefing, “So, what? We’re babysitting Karnstein all night?”

“Exactly that.” The Captain replied, “Get over there just now, make sure everything is as it should be and then you guys can take the rest of the afternoon off before the party tonight.” She looked at Laura and sighed, “Get some sleep or something, ok?”

Laura squirmed uncomfortably under the Captain’s glare, “You know she has an issue with my family, right?”. A blunt question was better than everyone questioning her sleep hygiene. Laura genuinely couldn’t figure out why Carmilla Karnstein would have requested the two of them personally.

“That’s an understatement,” Danny said and instantly regretted it.

The Captain shrugged and ignored her, “What a Karnstein wants, a Karnstein gets.”

“Yeah but…”

“But nothing Hollis. I don’t want to hear another word unless it’s, ‘We’re on our way, Ma’am’.”

The two detectives heaved themselves to their feet, taking that as their cue for dismissal, “We’re on our way, Ma'am.” They said in unison with less than genuine enthusiasm.

#

“You’re going to be late!” Perry flapped as her grown charge climbed the stairs that led to the upper wings of the Karnstein family home.

Carmilla huffed a little laugh as she wiped the sweat from her face and neck with a towel, “Perr’, chill, it’s just the rehearsal run through for the speeches. I can be a little late.” Carmilla took the remaining stairs two at a time to appease her anxious guardian.

“You’re a little late for everything,” Perry replied with a sharp tut as she followed behind Carmilla, collecting the clothes that were being discarded on their ascent. When they reached Camilla’s bedroom Perry admitted defeat. There were so many pieces of clothing strewn across the room she genuinely had no idea what had already been there before and what was freshly dropped.

“If that was a dig because it took me eight years to come home, I’m not listening.” Carmilla shrugged on a robe and dramatically jammed her fingers in her ears for emphasis as she wandered leisurely into the adjoining bathroom. When she saw the stern look on Perry’s face, she removed her fingers and added softly, “I really wanted to try out the new combat training routine that LaFontaine put together. With what I learned while I was away and the new equipment they’re developing…” Carmilla trailed off as she saw Perry’s face fall, Perry did not share her and LaFontaine’s enthusiasm for her new…project, “I’ll get ready quick. I promise.”

“I might’ve known that LaFontaine had something to do with your tardiness,” Perry switched the shower on and stuck her hand under the running water. When she was satisfied with the temperature, she held the door open for Carmilla, “they never were known for a good grasp on time. Just get ready. I’ll bring the car around.”

Carmilla kissed Perry gently on the cheek and waited for her to exit the bathroom before she shucked her robe and stepped in the large shower that ran half the length of the bathroom. She felt the warm water hit her shoulders and turned the water to a massaging jet stream. Carmilla placed her palms on the wall and eased into the sensation. Her back and shoulders still ached from the strain of heaving a building strut of a police officer last week. The hot water stung the bruises that peppered her arms and legs. Carmilla was stronger and faster than the average person, she had learned that much on her travels. She could move in a way that most people couldn’t. Yet she kept receiving reminders that her body was still fallible. It still bled, it still bruised and, shit, if it didn’t ache afterwards.

LaFontaine had been working on a prototype lightweight armour, but it wasn’t field ready yet. Her current uniform consisted of a Kevlar vest, a balaclava (which didn’t protect her face any, but at least it kept her anonymous) and a pair of heavy-duty leather pants. They provided a layer between you and a knife or you and the ground, but not much else. They certainly were no help with lifting parts of buildings off police detectives. Carmilla tried her best to push the image of that particular police detective to the back of her mind. To not think about Laura Hollis and her perfect smile, her goofy awkward laugh, her enthusiasm for anything sugar filled. She would be seeing Laura soon enough. If she over thought it, she’d bungle their first face to face meeting in years. Face to face without the balaclava that was.

Reluctantly, Carmilla shut off the water and exited the shower. Wiping the mirror clear, she looked hard at herself. Had the right thing been to request Laura, of all people, be put on security detail for the event tonight? Was it just the same old manipulative bullshit to use her wealth this way? Wasn’t she trying to stop doing that? Carmilla sighed and set about getting ready for the rehearsal. She settled on a simple black suit and black shirt combination. Once dressed, her wavy shoulder-length hair hastily blown dry, Carmilla pulled on a pair of battered black biker boots, stumbled out of her dressing room and hurried down to the waiting car.

#

“You know that horseshit you pulled last week is why we’re stuck doing this?” Danny asked accusingly.

Laura looked at the road ahead and tried to ignore her partner. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and tried not to think about the pills in her pocket or the ache in her shoulder that seemed to radiate through her entire body 24 hours a day. If she took one of those pills, the ache would subside and she’d feel warm and comforted. If she took one of those pills, Danny would insist she wasn’t fit to be on duty.

Danny scoffed knowingly at Laura’s silence, “You had that masked idiot cornered and somehow they got away."

For a moment, Laura thought Danny was going to leave it at that, but no, she wasn't that lucky, not today.

"We almost got crushed to death in a collapsing building. You can’t tell me that that’s not why we’re stuck with this babysitting job?”

“We were requested,” Laura said half-heartedly in defence, her voice dull and flat. She didn’t want to be going over this for the millionth time. Signalling, she turned the car and kept concentrating on where they were going. Concentrating on who they were going to meet. Laura glanced at her tired face in the rear-view mirror. She looked like hell. Christ, if she had known she would be face to face with Carmilla Karnstein today maybe she would have worn something...nicer. Combed her hair into something that didn’t resemble a bird’s nest. Did she even shower this morning? She attempted to subtly sniff her armpits whilst continuing to drive.

“That vigilante pain in the department’s ass might have saved your life,” Danny picked at her nails, “but they didn’t save mine. In fact, I ended up with a concussion for my troubles.”

Laura could feel a vein in her temple throb as she tried not to lose her temper, “And you don’t think that your concussion might actually be why we got assigned this nonsense?”

Danny scoffed, “Nah Laur’, it’s definitely you and your little crush on Luna.” 

Laura still refused to bite fully. She knew it frustrated Danny to no end when she couldn’t pull her into losing her temper. Instead Laura retreated to her thoughts.

Luna. That was what the press had started calling the masked vigilante. Apparently, it was because they only showed up at night. Or maybe it was because they’d first appeared on a full moon. It didn’t really matter. That was the name the press was using and it was clearly sticking, the cops had started yelling it round the bullpen too. Laura didn’t fully understand why they were trying to arrest the vigilante, sure, their methods were somewhat…unconventional, but ultimately, they were helping clean up Styria City. Anywhere there was crime, the masked vigilante would show up on this old motorbike and put the criminals in their place. Ok, they would maybe be a little beaten, missing some teeth, but they would be sitting there nice and neat for the police to scoop up and arrest.

Maybe that was the issue, Luna was making the lazy and corrupt cops in Styria City look bad. Yet Danny was neither lazy, nor corrupt. Her problem was more one of semantics. Danny hated the fact that Luna was helping by breaking the law. Laura had been treated to several twenty-minute tirades about how there are rules for a reason and the moment a normal citizen decides they are above those rules, well that’s when everything descends into chaos. Sometimes, Laura had to admit, chaos was better than law and order.

Danny’s specific bugbear seemed to be that Luna wasn’t helping, but rather they were endangering the lives of the innocent in the pursuit of vigilante justice. Yet Laura saw nothing that backed that assumption up. No civilians had actually been hurt in any incident involving the vigilante.

They finally had the pleasure of meeting Luna face to face at a drug bust the previous week. Laura and Danny had stood staring the vigilante down, guns drawn, ready to make the biggest arrest of their career. Luna had nowhere to go. Danny had yelled, "Hands in the air!”, like some sort of cartoonish TV cop and to Laura’s surprise Luna raised their hands before slowly backing them self against a window. Laura’s eyes flicked down to the vigilante’s battered leather biker boots briefly as they crunched against the detritus on the ground, they reminded her of something. Of someone. She pushed the thought to the back of her head and hoped that Luna wasn’t about to launch them self out the window they stood in front of. Laura hated it when they ran. Never mind when they ran dramatically.

Suddenly Luna whipped a throwing star in their general direction. It swung high and wide, disappearing into the beams of the ceiling. Moments later a light fitting came crashing down. It missed Laura by inches and caught Danny on the back of the head, knocking her out cold.

Laura didn’t get much time to react, that was when the first explosive charge had gone off. The criminals of Styria City were fond of booby trapping their hideouts. If Luna hadn’t been there to lift the fallen building strut that had pinned Laura to the ground, she probably would’ve died in the second blast and so would Danny. That made her ok in Laura’s book.

Laura slowed the car to a crawl as she looked for a place to park it, “Danny, not now,” Laura tried her best not to plead. Showing weakness in front of Danny had proven to be a huge mistake recently, “It’s going to be hard enough seeing Carmilla for the first time in eight years.”

“Yeah, I thought we’d got rid of her forever,” Danny said, instantly regretting her choice of words, “Not that I meant I wanted her to actually be dead, just that, yeah…” she trailed off.

“Jesus Christ,” Laura seethed as she parked the car, “I’m not talking to you about this. Not now.” Laura understood why she had spent the better part of a decade unreasonably mad at Carmilla Karnstein, but Danny was just being petty.

“Ok. I know. Truce,” Danny offered, her voice softening, “Think she’s came up with any new nicknames?”

_#_

Danny looked around the huge ballroom as they entered and whistled, “Family fortune’s still intact,” she whispered to Laura.

Laura shrugged and sucked in a deep breath as the door on the opposite side of the room opened and in, she sauntered. Carmilla Karnstein. The cocky sway of her hips still present, a bit older than the last time Laura had seen her (but weren’t they all) and every bit as stunningly and infuriatingly handsome as Laura remembered.

“Well, well, well,” Carmilla said schooling her face into a mask of indifference as she crossed the dance floor to where the detectives stood. She’d only requested Laura but here she was with Danny. Always with Danny it would seem, “if it isn’t Turner and Hooch.”

Laura rolled her eyes, “Let me guess, Turner and Hooch because we’re cops? She’s Turner,” she said throwing a thumb in Laura’s direction, “and I’m Hooch because he was a giant orange dog and I happen to have been born with a head of red hair?”

“You got good at this _Detective_ Lawrence.” Carmilla almost smiled genuinely, remembering to smirk like a jack ass at the last minute, as she extended her hand to shake Danny’s.

"Maybe you just got lazy _Carm_ ," Danny fired back, knowing that the shortening of her first name would rile up their host. Only Laura ever called her that.

Carmilla gave the tall redhead a firm handshake and turned to Laura. Laura who did not look herself at all. Carmilla chastised herself for that thought. She didn't know Laura Hollis any more. Maybe this tired looking woman stood in front of her was who she was.

Carmilla hesitated to extend her hand and instead shoved it into her pocket, “Cupcake,” she nodded curtly and walked over to an ornate bar that sat in the corner of the grand ballroom. In one smooth move, Carmilla had vaulted the bar and started fixing herself a drink. She needed to do something with her hands before they started shaking with nerves. Cupcake? It rolled off her tongue so easily. She shook her head slightly and concentrated on pouring. Bourbon. Neat. A double. “Fix you guys anything? It’s on the house.”

“On duty,” Laura said, tapping the badge she wore around her neck. She was desperate to get this meeting finished. Where on earth did Carmilla Karnstein get off calling her that? A fucking dumb nickname she hadn’t heard in years. A fucking dumb nickname that made her heartache. Or maybe that was just the ache in her shoulder seeping through her body and into her lower back. It was making her legs feel like lead. The pain reverberated round her rib cage and made it impossible to concentrate on anything else. Which was probably just as well. Eight years and a stomach full of disdain for Carmilla Karnstein couldn't quite change the way she made Laura feel. A little giddy. A little off kilter. A little like there was no one else in the world but her.

“Do you have any questions about the security for tonight?” Danny asked, clearly getting bored with the back and forth.

“Nope,” Carmilly leant lazily on her elbows on the bar and popped the ‘p’ in her answer, “I’m happy if Styria City's finest are happy.”

“So we’ll just come back for show time?” Laura asked flatly. Really, she had a hundred other questions. Why were they here? Why in the hell did she want them to work her homecoming dinner? Where had she been for the last eight years? How could she let everyone who knew her think she was dead? Was the spoiled brat she saw in the press really the person Carmilla had become?

“Yep.” Carmilla answered as she hopped over the bar again. She picked up her drink and walked away.

“Always a pleasure Carmilla!” Danny called after her.

Carmilla flipped them the bird as she exited the room.

“Oh my god, was she always this spoiled?” Danny asked half laughing.

“No. Maybe. Yeah,” Laura replied distracted, popping a painkiller from a prescription bottle into her mouth and crunching on, not giving a damn that Danny was staring right at her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: A bit of alcohol and drug abuse as a coping mechanism and mention of alcohol and drugs in a recreational setting also.

Laura pitched her keys at the side table behind her apartment door, she threw them a little hard and they skidded across the wood and landed on the floor instead. She kicked the door behind her shut, her arms laden with a sixer of beer, a box of cookies and some Chinese food for lunch. She left the keys where they fell.

Abandoning the take-away on the kitchen counter, Laura drifted distracted to her bedroom with the six-pack of tall boys and cookies still in hand. She pulled one of the beers free, cracked it open one handed, and took a deep drink. Satisfied, she placed the unopened cans on a chest of drawers along with the cookies and moved towards her closet. Moving a few boxes, she found what she was looking for buried under a pile of unwashed clothes. She lifted a shoebox with ‘DO NOT OPEN WHEN DRINKING, HOLLIS! JUST DON’T!’ scrawled across the lid in red Sharpie.

Laura sneered a little at her past, drunk self and tossed the offending article on the bed. She regarded the box wearily before sitting down beside it. Staring at the wall in front of her, she reached to the side and flipped the lid off without peering at the contents. Not yet. Instead she reached for a cookie and crammed the whole thing in her mouth in one go. She chewed impatiently and swallowed the sugary confection as quickly as possible.

Laura took another long pull of her beer. She was still trying to decide if this was a good idea right now. Slowly she turned and looked into the box. The first photo in the bundled piles was of her, Danny and Carmilla aged about four or five. Christ, had she organised them chronologically last time she had looked through them? She was going to have to have a word with drunk Laura at some point.

Laura picked up the first pile, removed the band keeping them together and began flicking through the photos. Frozen scenes of birthday parties, zoo trips, building snowmen and riding horses on the Karnstein estate. Danny always taller than everyone, Laura always smiling and Carmilla with a permanent scowl plastered on her face. Though back then she really had no reason to scowl. Still, Carmilla had always been such a serious kid. Always thinking. Planning. Scheming. Always two steps ahead.

Legend had it, the only person who could ever make Styria City's wealthiest daughter drop the scowl was little Laura Hollis. The only person who could stop her being so serious for five minutes. Laura drained her beer in a few triumphant gulps and tossed the empty can in the general direction of the kitchen. She reached clumsily across to the chest of drawers without getting off the bed and grabbed another beer. Pulling open her second drink, Laura picked up the next pile of photos. They were largely all between ages eight and nine. Laura knew it was the last pile to include Carmilla regularly. Laura knew it was the hardest pile to look at because she could see clearly in her little face how hard she was falling in love with her best friend and how her other best friend was falling in love with her.

Laura tossed the bundled photos back into the box and picked up what looked like a ratty piece of string. With the other hand she reached and sat her beer down, exchanging it for another cookie. She untangled the string and flattened it out on her thigh. Laura traced the chevron pattern on the faded friendship bracelet reverently with her finger as she chewed on her second cookie. The scissor snip in the string below the knot still offended her greatly. It reminded her that the only reason she’d taken the thing off in high school was because Danny had stood over her and made sure she cut it off. Carmilla had given her the bracelet just before she turned ten. Just before everything changed. Laura reached for her beer again, finishing it in three huge gulps, burped and opened a third. With a shaky hand she picked a newspaper clipping out the box and unfolded it, the headline read, ‘STYRIA CITY'S WEALTHIEST PHILANTHROPISTS DEAD IN DRUNK DRIVING CRASH’. She did not need to read the article. Laura knew the story by heart.

Laura’s Dad was the District Attorney to Styria City. In exchange for information on an important case, he’d cut loose a petty criminal. The perp held no further use and wasn’t an immediate danger to the citizens of Styria City. Desperate to skip town before the unsavoury element could label him a rat, the idiot drunkenly barrelled into the Karnstein's town car as they travelled home from a charity fundraiser. A total freak incident. Carmilla the only survivor. Their friendship had never quite been the same after that. Neither had Laura’s father. Laura carefully folded up the clipping and placed it back in the box.

Laura closed her eyes and fell back on the bed. The beer still clutched in her hand sloshed and spilled a little on the sheets. Carmilla had always stayed on the periphery of her life, regardless of whether they were on speaking terms or not. She was hard to ignore. The prettiest, richest and, as loathe as Laura was to admit it, smartest, girl in school had a trail of broken-hearted study buddies (see one-night stands) and reprimands for entrepreneurial schemes (see trivial high school alcohol and drug deals) a mile long. There was always something happening involving her. She was always the topic of gossip or the reason some girl was crying in a bathroom stall.

Nevertheless, a Karnstein always got away with everything. There was a wing of the school named for her Grandmother after all. There were wings of buildings named for Karnstein's all over Styria City. Carmilla's parents had plumbed more money into the city infrastructure in the years since they settled there than the government ever had.

Laura thought back to hushed conversations that she had overheard in her father's office on weekend's home. The type of things people would say when they thought she was studying and not paying attention. About how the Karnstein's were 'new money', how this seemed to make people uncomfortable. Where had their money come from? Why did they want to give so much of it away? Laura had always thought the Karnstein’s were just nice people. Nice people who wanted to share their wealth with the less fortunate.

By the time they reached Styria Prep, Carmilla hadn’t spoken to Laura in years. It had started subtly, invitations rejected, excuses made but Laura soon got the message. Carmilla blamed Laura’s father for her parent’s death and Laura would endure the brunt of that blame. So, they didn’t talk. Unless you counted the endless stream of nicknames Carmilla would bark at her and Danny as they passed in the hallways. Petty, ridiculous nicknames that would set Carmilla’s crew of mean girls giggling and high fiving. It was ok though, Laura still had Danny, loyal and loving Danny, and she told herself that was all she needed. It had been easy to let Danny love her and it had been easy to love Danny back. Until, it wasn't. 

Laura sat up and steeled herself for what she knew she was going to pull from the box next. She lifted another newspaper clipping and sighed, ‘KARNSTEIN HEIR STILL MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD’. The clipping was still fresh looking, only a year old. Had it only been a year since they had declared Carmilla dead?

Thinking Carmilla had died caused the wheels to really come off. It had detonated something inside Laura. It wasn’t easy anymore. She couldn’t pretend anymore. Laura did not love Danny and she hadn’t for some time. Their relationship crumbled overnight. Danny being the chivalrous person she was had moved out without much argument. Danny loved to play the good person almost as much as she loved to keep a running list of emotional infractions to throw back in Laura's face at a moment's notice. They both knew why Laura had pulled away, become cold. Danny moved out and left Laura alone with her grief.

Laura thought about the short, stilted conversation they had had with Carmilla earlier. How Carmilla had refused to shake her hand, to touch her. How she had casually thrown out that nickname, which used to be said with such affection. Laura still remembered the last full conversation she had had with Carmilla, remembered it like it was yesterday. She had replayed that conversation repeatedly in her head a million times and then some in the last eight years.

“I didn’t mean this to happen.” Laura had started. She really hadn’t. The last thing Laura had expected when she climbed up to the roof that night was to end up in Carmilla’s bed, her actual girlfriend passed out drunk down the hallway and completely unaware.

“Regrets?” Carmilla had asked, taking a draw on a cigarette, smiling lazy and content.

“That it happened this way, not that it happened.” Laura clarified.

“Shall we try it another way?” Carmilla had joked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively and crushing her cigarette into the ashtray at the side of her bed.

“You know what I mean.” Laura blushed at the inference of Carmilla’s words.

“I do.” Carmilla nodded. Just because she didn’t give a shit about Danny’s feelings, didn’t mean that Laura didn’t.

Laura could still bring to mind the way the air in the room suddenly felt heavy, thick almost. It was hard to concentrate when Carmilla was looking at her so intensely with those dark and serious eyes. Carmilla’s hand had been idling on the curve of her hip. Laura could feel Carmilla’s fingers twitching, “You won’t…” Laura trailed off, not quite able to finish the thought. She knew it was inevitable Danny would find out about this, these things never stayed secret. Laura just didn’t want it to come from someone other than her.

“I definitely won’t.” Carmilla reassured her.

At the time, Laura had taken that to mean that Carmilla wouldn’t betray her trust, but in the intervening years, she couldn’t help but cynically think it had just meant that Carmilla wouldn’t say anything because she wouldn’t be around to say anything to anyone anymore.

Carmilla had reached over and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Laura’s ear, “Hey,” She had whispered.

“Hey.” Laura replied back placing her forehead against Carmilla’s and closing her eyes. Unable to recall when she’d ever felt so happy.

“It was always only you.” Carmilla said so quietly Laura wasn’t sure she’d hear her.

Laura remembered feeling a blush spread across her face and wanting to believe that was true, that she was somehow special, but found it hard considering the revolving door policy Carmilla had implemented in their senior year. It was just a line. Something to say because they were naked, sated and post-coital. Before she could ruin the moment, Laura had leant forward and kissed Carmilla tenderly on the lips. Shortly after, conversation had been the last thing on their minds.

The next morning, Carmilla was gone. In eight years, no one knew where she was or heard from her. Not even Perry and LaFontaine, her parent’s best friends, who had looked after her when she became an orphan. Laura looked. She took every ounce of investigative prowess she had and she looked. Laura tried to find Carmilla in news articles and later, police reports. However, life has a funny way of moving you forward, pushing you through years without your consent or realisation and, then, Carmilla was dead.

Laura drained the last of the beer she was holding and screwed up the newspaper clipping into a little ball. She launched it across the room. Didn't need to keep that one since it wasn't true anymore. Laura winced, a short burst of pain shooting through her arm. She rolled her shoulder and tried to loosen it. The painkillers and the beer had turned the pain into a fuzzy ache but it was still there, still present.

Laura’s phone bleeped to life, she pulled it from her pocket, a text from Danny wanting to know if she was ok. Laura ignored it. She might be stuck with Danny as her partner at work right now, but she was trying to put as much distance between them socially as she could. It was the only way Danny would move on and stop feeling responsible for her.

Laura groaned guiltily. She knew Danny was just being...Danny. She picked her phone back up and flipped it open, shooting a two-word text in reply, _All good_. Laura ran a hand through her, still greasy hair she realised, and slowly pushed herself to her feet. She grabbed a third cookie and fourth beer and headed to the bathroom. Laura supposed she better shower and put on her _nicer_ work blazer if she was going to look respectable at this homecoming dinner.

#

Carmilla couldn't stop fidgeting with her bow tie. She loved formal clothes, but hated the confinement of black tie. Unfortunately, any sort of cocktail dress was out of the question with her bruised and battered body, so a tux it was. An expensive, form fitting, beautifully tailored tux. Sequestering herself away in the library, under the pretence of going over her speech once more, Carmilla paced in front of her desk. Her father's desk. The big oak desk that sat behind the battered chesterfield sofa. Really, Carmilla just needed some time to think. Get herself in check before she would have to face Laura. Again.

Perry would have called it brooding, but Carmilla wasn’t brooding, she was meditating on what had happened earlier that afternoon. Meditating was definitely the word for it. Sure. The short meeting with Laura and Danny was weighing on her mind, but she wasn't brooding. Carmilla hadn’t anticipated fully how it was going to make her feel. Seeing Laura. Seeing Danny still dutifully by her side. It had been eight years since she had had a conversation with either of them and there they were. Cops. Carmilla hadn’t quite seen that one coming. For Danny maybe, but definitely not Laura. Laura had a brilliant investigative mind, sure, she hadn’t been the lead on every school paper she ever encountered for nothing. Exposing every underhand thing going on from the reasoning behind terrible cafeteria food to corrupt administrative activity. That’s how Carmilla would have bet her career would have gone. Investigative journalism. Not investigative…policing. Yet there they were, still partners. Still inseparable. When she’d saved Laura’s life last week every dumb emotion she had learned to supress and control had bubbled to the surface and she was having a hard time keeping a lid on any of it. It had taken all her will power not to pull Laura away from Danny in the ballroom and confess everything. Where she’d gone, what she’d seen, everything she’d learned and more importantly why she’d come back.

Of course, she didn’t do any of that. Carmilla hadn't even had the courage to shake Laura Hollis's hand. Terrified of what further unravelling touching her would spark. Instead she’d put up the Carmilla Karnstein party girl front. She gave them the face that she flashed at the cameras so that no one would ever think to connect orphaned millionaire Carmilla Karnstein with Luna. Goddess, she hated that name. Luna. It made her sound like some sort of half-baked psychic telling fortunes on the shore. Before she could come up with a name herself, the media had stuck her with one.

Carmilla stopped pacing and sighed. She glanced up at the framed photos on the wall. Someone, LaF and their huge sentimental streak no doubt, had hung her high school graduation photo amongst the family pictures in her absence. Carmilla crossed behind the desk and sank into the plush leather seat. The familiar creak and smell of the old leather reminded her of nights sat on her father's knee as he read to her the classics aloud. Carmilla kicked her feet up on the desk, shook the ghost of her father from her head and stared at her graduation photo intently. She thought about that last night at Styria City Prep. The night before she left town for eight years.

Carmilla snuck away from the graduation party raging in the senior dorm with a half pint of whiskey and a badly rolled joint she had been gifted by a girl she vaguely remembered sleeping with earlier in the semester. The school sat atop a huge hill and Carmilla wandered up to the roof to look at the stars and go over her escape plan in her head once more. She still couldn't shake the feeling that the city was suffocating her. She wanted to get out and see some of the world, figure out who she was other than a name with a legacy to continue and a trust fund. Carmilla wanted to know if there was anything out there other than expectancy.

The last person she’d expected to see when she kicked open the door to the roof was Laura Hollis. Laura had started babbling the minute they had made eye contact. Something about that big galoot Danny having shot gunned too many beers and passing out and everyone knows Carmilla hangs out on the roof, but she would bet dollars to donuts she was the only one who knew it was because Carmilla loved to feel closer to the stars and she couldn’t finish high school without them ever talking again.

Camilla hadn’t meant to, but she smiled. A genuine, wide smile. Not her usual sarcastic sneer. How long had Laura been sitting up there just hoping she’d show up? Oh Laura, perfectly imperfect Laura, clearly buzzed and her face flushed from one too many wine coolers or some other horribly sugary alcoholic concoction. Laura, still in her school uniform from the graduation ceremony, her tie askew and one sock rolled down slightly on her leg.

Carmilla offered the whiskey to Laura, who hesitated but then snatched the bottle and took a seemingly grateful slug. Carmilla laughed. Laura still made the same adorable, bunched up face she had made as a kid when she tasted something gross or something agitated her. It made Carmilla laugh hysterically as a kid and it turned out it made her laugh hysterically as a teenager too. Everything about this had just seemed so easy.

They passed the joint between them and made small talk about, well, Carmilla didn’t remember exactly what. That had faded with time. The future most likely, whatever she would have said would have been a lie anyways. They certainly didn’t talk about the thing they didn’t talk about. They didn’t talk about why they didn't talk. They didn’t talk about their parents.

When the joint had been reduced to nothing but ash and roach, Laura had yawned and said she was going to bed. She had thanked Carmilla for talking to her. For not kicking her back down the stairs. For giving her a sense of closure.

Carmilla had shuddered a little internally at the word closure and turned away. It was so final. Surely closure meant letting go. Carmilla wasn't sure if she could let go of Laura. Still, she chose to say nothing. Carmilla watched as Laura staggered towards the door that lead to the stairs. She remembered thinking, now. It’s now or it’s never and you’ll carry that regret with you out into the world. Carmilla stood and moved determinedly towards Laura, catching her by the wrist just before she reached for the handle of the door. She remembered spinning Laura round to face her and in the same movement leaning forward with all her weight and pinning Laura against the door.

Carmilla remembered all of this part a little too vividly. Her hands had moved to the side of Laura’s face, Laura’s hands were on her shoulders. She’d searched Laura’s eyes for consent, the gentle squeeze of encouragement to her shoulders all that Carmilla needed to crash their lips together awkwardly. The kiss was sloppy in that way that alcohol makes you unable to control, too needy, too much teeth and then...then it softened into something else entirely. Carmilla remembered trying her best to kiss it all away. All the hurt and bad feeling. The wasted years of not talking. Carmilla felt Laura’s hands move to her hips and she gasped as Laura pulled her hard against her.

If she thought about it, Carmilla was sure she was the one who had broken for air first, moving to place bruising, hot, open-mouthed kisses across Laura’s jaw and down her neck. Impatiently tugging at Laura’s tie and pulling open the top few buttons of her shirt.

With a needy moan of encouragement from Laura, Carmilla had dropped to her knees and pushed her face firmly in the pleats of Laura’s skirt. She was terrified to go any further in case Laura said ‘stop’, she was desperate to find out what Laura would taste like arching into her mouth.

Laura had gently pulled Carmilla back up so they were eye to eye. Carmilla remembered searching Laura’s face again, looking for some sort of indication of what she wanted. ‘Not here, not like this’ she’d said, almost pleading. Laura took Carmilla by the hand and quickly led her back down to the dorm. Back down to Carmilla’s room because the richest girl in school could afford the luxury of not having a roommate.

#

“I really wish you wouldn’t,” Danny motioned to the pill bottle Laura had pulled out her blazer pocket, “you know, when we’re supposed to be on duty.”

Laura sneered a little as she tossed the pills into her mouth and began to crunch them wilfully, mouth open, never breaking eye contact with Danny, “Well my shoulder really wishes that part of building hadn’t fallen on it last week.”

“I don’t think they were prescribed as ‘Take When Reality Gets Too Real’.” Danny sniped. She had watched Laura shuffle nervously since they had arrived at the venue. Danny didn’t have to think too hard to figure out what, or more pointedly who, Laura was nervous about.

Laura nodded and smiled at various guests as they entered past them into the grand ballroom. As soon as they had moved out of earshot her smile fell, “What I do with and put into my body is no longer any of your business Detective.”

Danny laughed indignantly, “I’ll remember that next time you call me at stupid o’clock whining that you're lonely, or about not knowing where you left your car or even knowing where the fuck you actually are.”

Laura tried to stop the cringe that was sneaking up her spine as Danny reminded her that more than once, she had called since they broke up needing “rescued”. Laura had a scathing comeback on the tip of her tongue when she noted their guest of honour turning the corner with a model on each arm. Of course, she had a model on each arm.

“Philo,” Carmilla nodded at Laura, before turning to Danny and addressing her, “Clyde.” She stepped into the ballroom and set off the pop and flash of the gathered press before Danny could formulate a retort.

“Did she just refer to me as a freaking orangutan?” Danny asked as the doors swung shut, leaving her closing and opening her mouth repeatedly as she tried to fathom where Carmilla constantly came up with these references.

Laura didn’t even try to hide her petty amusement. In one day Carmilla had managed to refer to Danny as a giant orange dog and a giant orange ape, it sure beat just calling her a bitch or some other unimaginative female pejorative, “She clearly enjoys buddy movies from the late 70’s, early 80’s these days.” Laura shrugged.

“She clearly enjoys pressing my buttons,” Danny huffed, “still.” Danny noted that Laura had finally stopped visibly vibrating with nervous energy.

Laura refused to fuel Danny’s jealousy and changed the subject, “Who’s backstage?” she asked.

“Peak and Mulcahey.” Danny replied rolling her eyes, “Jesus they might as well have just sent us two resuscitation dummies for all the good they’ll be doing.”

“I’m going to go check on them.” Laura said flatly.

Danny let out a small, exasperated breath, she was tired of fighting with Laura, and she was tired of being at this stupid dinner instead of working any number of the real cases currently piled on their desk, “I’ll head up the back of the ballroom. The speeches are due to start shortly.”

Laura felt the warm fuzz of the painkillers as they seeped into her system and her muscles relaxed, “Bring you a coffee in ten?”

“Excuse me?” Danny asked her hand poised on the door handle to enter the ballroom. The change in Laura’s tone to friendly had caught her a little off-guard.

“Coffee?” Laura was already regretting trying to be nice, “Do you want one once I’ve checked on the ba…d cops backstage?”

“Please.” Danny said offering Laura a small smile, knowing fine the word she had been looking for was ‘bastards’ before she changed her mind.

“Okie dokie.” Laura said and turned to head down the hallway towards the stage entrance.

Danny pushed the ballroom door open and made herself look as innocuous as her 6ft frame allowed. She carefully skirted the side of the ballroom until she reached the AV booth at the back. Danny surveyed the room for any unusual activity, her eyes finally falling on Carmilla Karnstein as she excused herself from the head table and headed backstage. Stupid, undeniably gorgeous, irresponsible, looked amazing in that tuxedo, Carmilla Karnstein.

Danny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had to get over her dislike of the guest of honour and be professional. Just for one evening. Then she could go back to hating Carmilla and blaming her for how messed up Laura had become. How messed up _their_ life had become. If Carmilla had just stayed gone, rather than dead, her life would still be her life. Danny sighed, that probably wasn’t true. She knew all this mess had all started the morning after graduation night eight years ago and she also knew she was still struggling to let it go. Would probably never let it go.

Danny had woken up, face down, her face firmly stuck to her pillow with drool. Possibly some vomit, but mostly drool. She had zero recollection of the night before and even less information about where her girlfriend currently was. It was 7 am and Laura wasn’t in Danny’s bed, nor was she in her own bed across the room. Concern, curiosity and a powerful need to pee had propelled Danny from her bed and to the shared dorm bathroom. From there she’d shuffled down the hall. Slowly. Hungover. Danny smirked, from the sheer amount of ties hung on doors there were some lasting memories etched out during the party. Everyone knew that a tie hanging on a door handle at Styria Prep meant do not disturb, even if you didn’t have a roomie.

When she reached the corridor intersection, to the left the senior single suites and to the right the floor vending machines, she paused and scratched the back of her arm. Where the hell was Laura? The halls were still so quiet. No one was up yet. Danny had turned to continue her hungover shuffle to the vending machine to grab a cold, lifesaving Coke when a tie on the handle of one of the single suites caught her eye. Danny stepped closer and reached out to touch the upside-down smiley face pin on the tie. She couldn’t have told you then what it was she was feeling, but later on, when Danny had had time to chew it over, she could pinpoint it to a weird cocktail of disbelief, fear, confusion, anger and betrayal. All the fun emotions. That damn smiley face pin. Grinning at Danny upside down, as if to say, ‘I told you so’. It was Laura’s tie and it was hanging on the handle of Carmilla Karnstein’s door.

Danny had slumped forward and leant her forehead against the cool wood of the door. She felt sick to her stomach. Her love was on the other side of that door. Danny rested her hand on the handle and tried to figure out her next move. Part of her was hoping that the door was locked, meaning she could just slink back to their room and wait for Laura to come home. She could maybe pretend she didn’t see the tie. Danny pushed the handle down gently. The door wasn’t locked.

Expecting the worst, Danny had eased the door open slowly. She had been unsure whether to enter with the righteous rage of the cheated or the quiet upset of the broken hearted. What she saw kind of knocked the wind out of both those ideas. Laura was sound asleep. Alone. Carmilla hadn’t been in the bathroom and they hadn’t passed in the hallway, so, where was she? Danny was about to backup out the room in case someone caught her there like some creeper, when a note on the floor addressed to Laura caught her eye. Danny pocketed the note and left Laura to wake up alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...that was a bit of a monster chapter. You like back story right? Here's the back story to the story with some more of the actual story.
> 
> You're getting a two for one today, with another chapter uploading shortly. Then after that I aim to post chapters at least once a week.
> 
> Hope you're enjoying.


	3. Chapter 3

"Perr’ quit fussing, she looks beautiful as always." Lafontaine said as they stepped up to take their wife's hands away from Carmilla’s bowtie.

Carmilla threw LaFontaine a wink, "The house is already left to you two, you don't have to flatter me Pops."

LaFontaine grunted, "Don't call me Pops, it makes me feel old." They clipped a mic on to Carmilla's lapel and slipped the mic pack into the back pocket of her tux.

"Showtime." Carmilla winked and turned to walk towards the side of the stage.

"Carmilla," Perry stopped Carmilla with a hand on her shoulder, "You don't have to do this you know, all this..." Perry took a breath and looked to LaFontaine for help.

"I think what Perr’ is trying to say is you don't have to pretend to be anything you aren't. The company ran just fine without you." LaFontaine expanded.

"Gotta give the people what they expect and then they won't expect anything more. Or suspect anything more I suppose." Carmilla gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She was starting to lose her nerve about stepping out on to the stage. Kick criminal ass? Not a problem. Schmooze a room full of rich folks? Not really her forte.

"You don't have to do any of that either." Perry said, her tone more clipped, "This city's depravity isn't your responsibility."

Carmilla took Perry’s hands in her own, "It may not be my responsibility but it would be irresponsible for me to sit by idly when I have the means to do something."

Perry gave Carmilla's hands a squeeze and felt tears threatening at the corner of her eyes, "I just worry. I couldn't-we couldn't lose you twice."

"Jeez _Mom_ , come here." Carmilla grabbed Perry with one arm and LaFontaine with the other, "I'm home," She squeezed them hard, "for good.”

“The moment you get hurt it's over!" Perry tried to make that sound as authoritative as she could. She knew she really had no say in the matter.

"Hurt?" Carmilla scoffed, "Not with LaF’s gear! Oh, about the gear—"

"I have it with me." LaFontaine interrupted, tapping the side of their nose with their finger.

"Ok, go take your seats, I have to do the thing.” Carmilla instructed.

"What? What do you-? I mean why would she even need that tonight?" Perry babbled a steady, anxious stream of questions as LaFontaine muttered reassuring platitudes and led them back to their table.

Laura sighed as she poked around back stage. Unsurprisingly the idiots assigned to the area were nowhere to be found. She was about to give up looking for them when the sound of clapping started in the ballroom and drew her to the side of the stage. Laura watched as Carmilla waited for the applause to die down and began to speak.

“Hi,” she started, giving the crowd assembled in the ballroom a dazzling smile.

Laura smirked. It wasn’t Carmilla’s real smile. It was one that Laura had seen Carmilla flash at teachers and other authority figures when she was trying to get something to go her way.

“Thanks for joining me at this ridiculously over the top homecoming my Board of Directors insisted on throwing me.” Carmilla raised the glass of champagne that she had sat on the podium and tilted it towards the assembled Board before taking a healthy swig.

Laura watched her curiously. That suit, those models Carmilla arrived with, the arrogant bravado, it all seemed a little forced if you asked Laura. Something about it didn't seem genuine.

“Now I’m sure you all have questions,” Carmilla paused, “about where I’ve been, what I was doing, why I seemingly fell of the face of the planet.” She said sounding a little tired.

A quiet hush fell over the room as Carmilla continued,

“I could happily bore you with a slide show of my travels, but why do that when I can tell you about all the amazing stuff, I have planned for Karnstein Enterprises and the charitable projects we'll have lined up for the upcoming year.”

Carmilla stepped to the side of the podium and gestured to the big screen behind her as a video started playing. She hate this part. It almost made her skin itch to be so fake. The Karnstein Enterprises logo spun to life on screen and Carmilla studied her perfectly manicured nails before remembering to look interested. She had seen this video at least 40 times in the last week. Suddenly the screen stuttered and the audio wavered. Carmilla pointedly looked to the back of the hall where the audio/video booth was. The tech was frantically mashing at buttons and gesturing for Carmilla to step in and buy him some time. Carmilla stepped forward and was about to say something, when the video sprang back to life.

“Please don’t be alarmed,” a slightly mechanical voice filled the room as the video stuttered static on the screen, “no, sorry, I’ll rephrase that, please be alarmed but don’t set off any alarms.” A cold laugh echoed off the walls as the doors to the ballroom opened and a troop of lackeys dressed in black jogged in.

Carmilla hadn't realised it, but she'd slowly backed off the stage. Movement from the other side caught her eye and she whipped her head up to see Laura looking at her. Her face was as ashen as she imagined her own to be. That voice. It belonged to Carmilla’s deceased mother.

Carmilla knew there was a stage door not too far behind her. If she could just back out and find LaF she would put an end to this sick joke and quick, but now Laura had seen her. Carmilla watched as Laura drew her side arm and cautiously poked her head out to survey the situation. If she wanted to get across the stage to Carmilla unseen, which she clearly did from the amount of fidgeting Laura was doing, she would have to go around the stage rather than across. That would buy Carmilla the time she needed to slip away.

As soon as Laura ducked behind the stage, Carmilla eased the door open and determinedly began to make her way to the office she had sequestered in the building. Before she could make it much further than the end of the corridor a door flew open and someone grabbed hold of her and pulled her into a janitor’s closet.

“You’re lucky I’m not a more nervous person.” Carmilla growled as she stood nose to nose with LaFontaine.

“Sorry kid,” LaFontaine said with a smile as they began handing Carmilla the various components of her gear.

“Where’s Pe…”

“Already gone,” LaFontaine interrupted as they helped Carmilla shrug off her shirt, “We put Plan Distraction into play.”

Carmilla let out a little indignant huff as she pulled on her tight leather pants, “I hate that decoy Carmilla She looks nothing like me.”

LaF couldn’t help but chuckle, “She looks enough like you to confuse the press.” LaFontaine began helping Carmilla secure the straps on her Kevlar vest.

Carmilla grunted as she bent to put her boots back on. Boots first, vest second in future.

LaFontaine dug around in the bag by their feet. They proudly pulled out a heavy looking piece of fabric and held it up with a quiet, “Ta-da.”

“What am I looking at?” Carmilla asked, completely perplexed at what she was supposed to be marveling at.

“It’s to protect that thick skull of yours.” LaF joked and motioned for Carmilla to lean her head forward so they could slip the hood into place, “It’s made of a prototype bullet absorbing fabric and I built in this mask to cover your mouth and nose, but allow your vision to be unimpeded.”

Carmilla pulled the mask up over her mouth and nose, “It’s very Mortal Kombat,” her eyebrows rose as an unfamiliar voice came out through the material covering her mouth, “Oh!”

LaFontaine smiled wide, “Nano voice changer in the material.”

“LaF, please never stop astounding me.” Carmilla slipped a grenade bandolier over her head and clipped a grappling gun on to the back of her belt.

“You’ll have a whole new suit soon kiddo, I promise.” LaFontaine looked proudly at Carmilla, suited, booted and ready to go, “What’s the plan?”

Carmilla looked round the small closet and pondered her options. She pointed to an air vent, “Keep the element of surprise, I guess.”

Laura went through what she would say to Carmilla when she reached her. In the short time it took her to cross behind the stage she had gone through every option from official Detective speak, (‘It would appear someone is imitating your mother and carrying out a robbery, we need to get you somewhere safe’). To what she actually really wanted to say, (‘The worst year of my life what when I thought you were dead. Let’s get out of here and get you somewhere safe’). However, when she reached the other side of the stage, Carmilla was gone.

An almighty clang made Laura turn and look back into the ballroom. An air duct cover had fallen from its position high on the wall and landed on one of the henchmen knocking him out cold. The detective ducked down behind the ornate pillar at the side of the stage as the remaining henchmen turned and began firing blindly at the vent.

Among all the noise and flash of gunfire, no one noticed the small grenade that came tumbling from the vent. It hit the ground and with a small bee-deep filled the room with smoke. Laura covered her eyes and mouth with her blazer. She could only hear the sound of a scuffle and men yelling as the smoke obscured her vision. It had to be the vigilante, but how did they expect to take all of those henchmen out on their own.

Laura flinched as she felt a hand land on her arm.

“It’s me,” Came Danny’s familiar voice, “we need to follow that vigilante. Now.”

“What about…” Laura trailed off as she turned back to the ballroom. The smoke was beginning to clear. The henchmen were all sitting in the middle of the room, some unconscious, some completely dazed, a thick black rope holding them all in place, “Oh.”

“Come on Hollis, before we lose them again!” Danny shouted as she headed out the stage door.

“Where are we going?” Laura asked as she trailed after her partner.

“The roof!” Danny called back over her shoulder, “It’s the only concealed exit out of here.”

Laura cursed herself for taking that last mouthful of painkillers as she watched Danny run down the corridor and kick open the door that led to the roof. Her head was swimming. None of this seemed entirely real. Laura reached the top of the stairs, slightly out of breath and just in time to hear Danny yelling,

“Hold it right there!”

Danny had her gun aimed at a hooded figure stood on the edge of the building.

Laura drew her gun but only aimed it halfheartedly as she watched Luna turn and face them. The hood and mask were new, but it was unmistakably their vigilante.

“Styria City’s finest. So happy to see you again. That’s another one you owe me now.”

That voice. It was the first time they’d heard Luna talk, yet that voice seemed so familiar but so entirely strange at the same time. Laura watched as Luna shuffled back and forth ever so slightly on the edge of the building as if she was waiting impatiently for something. Before her stoned brain could catch up to the situation at hand, Laura realised she was watching Luna leap from the roof.

Laura holstered her weapon and ran to the edge. She pushed herself up on to the concrete lip and looked over just in time to see Luna fire a grappling gun, swing from the fire escape and land on a passing truck.

“Motherfucker!” Danny cursed as Luna waved and they watched the masked vigilante disappear into the night.

#

Two hours and a shed load of sobering coffee later, Laura had finally managed to place that voice. More to the point she had managed to place those boots. Laura hesitated, her finger hovering over a doorbell. She took her hand away and wiped her sweaty palms on the front of her jeans. It had been a while since she'd rang the bell at the Karnstein estate. Laura shook her head. This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman. Quickly she stabbed the doorbell before she lost her nerve entirely.

"Laura…Detective Holl—" Perry fumbled as she peeked out from behind the door, she was surprised to see a grown Laura Hollis on their doorstop at 1 am.

"Laura is fine. I’m not here on police business." Laura replied, "I’m sorry to trouble you so late. Is Ms. Karns…” Laura trailed off as she took a deep breath and looked pointedly at Perry, why was she being so formal, "Is Carm here? I need to talk to her."

Perry shook her head and thought carefully before she spoke. Even when Perry knew her as a child, it had always been impossible to lie to Laura Hollis. She was the kind of kid that could see through any sugar-coated child friendly story and tenaciously hound you until you gave her the unedited version,

"She's not here. When the unfortunate incident at the ballroom happened, she snuck out the back door with her dates." Perry tried to sound particularly annoyed at Carmilla's behaviour, really sell the irresponsible nature of her grown ward, "She isn't one to stick around in a dangerous situation when she could be dancing somewhere."

"Huh," Laura said as she watched Perry carefully. If anyone was helping Carmilla with this vigilante shtick, it was her guardians, "Which club?"

"The Lustig, I believe." LaFontaine offered as they came into the doorway and wrapped a blanket round Perry's shoulders.

"Hey LaF," Laura said offering a small smile, “Thank you.”

“No problem kiddo. It’s nice to see you.”

Laura shuffled a little guiltily and looked away from LaFontaine’s kind eyes. She shouldn’t have just turned up at the house like this, it was unprofessional and a little bit foolish, "Sorry again to have bothered you so late." She offered before turning and heading down the steps.

Perry closed the door, letting out a slow breath, "Should we have told her that?"

LaF smirked and cocked their head to the side, "Maybe it would do Carmilla some good to have someone else on her side."

"You don't think she's going to take her in?" Perry picked at a thread on the blanket wrapped round her shoulders.

"Hollis?" LaFontaine laughed, "Are you kidding me? Those kids have loved each other since the day they met."

“There’s been a lot of water under that bridge.” Perry stated as she let LaF steer her back towards the kitchen. They had been drinking tea and waiting for Carmilla to come home once her cover was established.

“Yet that water keeps moving.”

“You think you know everything about relationships don’t you Mx?” Perry hummed as she sat back down at the table.

LaFontaine placed a loving kiss to the crown of Perry’s head and set to making a fresh pot of tea.

Laura flashed her badge at the bouncer on duty at The Lustig and paid him no attention as he begrudgingly opened the door to the club. She bypassed the huge line that waited behind a purple velvet rope and prayed for her sanity. The steady thrum of the bass was beginning to match the thump of the headache threatening behind her eyes. It had been too long a day to be chasing Carmilla Karnstein round the Styria City club circuit, but Laura needed answers. Laura needed to see Carmilla. As she passed the coat check and entered the main room of the club Laura suddenly felt overdressed or under dressed or you know, just dressed like a damn cop.

Laura scanned the throng of people writhing against one another on the dancefloor and let out an exasperated breath. She was never going to find Carmilla amongst this sweaty mob.

After pushing her way through the crowd to the bar Laura propped herself up on her elbows and flashed her badge at the nearest bartender. She wasn't staying trapped in this sandwich of sweat and hormones for any longer than she had to.

"I’m looking for someone." she shouted over the din of the music to the barmaid.

"I can’t be talking to you if I’m not serving you.” The barmaid replied.

Laura sighed and shrugged, “Club soda.” She slapped a healthy tip on the bar and watched as the barmaid poured her drink, “I’m looking for Carmilla Karnstein, have you seen her tonight?”

“She’s out there somewhere if she’s still here.”

Laura looked over her shoulder at the packed dance floor and felt her temper rising.

“You’ll get a better view from up there,” the barmaid pointed to her left and turned to serve another patron who had elbowed their way to the bar.

Turning, Laura spotted a spiral staircase that led to an upper level. She pushed passed the crowd again and climbed the stairs. Once above the crowd, Laura could see her quarry clearly in the middle of the dancefloor. Carmilla was sandwiched in between the two models she'd brought to the party, the three of them moving in unison to the heavy dance beat blaring through the club. Clever, Laura thought. Why would anyone think Carmilla was the masked vigilante when any number of people had seen her at a busy nightclub? Laura would even wager there was time stamped footage of Carmilla entering the club shortly after the time of the attempted robbery at the banquet.

Carmilla threw her head back and rested it on the shoulder of the brunette behind her. Laura took a sip of her decidedly non-alcoholic drink and studied Carmilla's face. She sure looked like she was having a good time. Maybe she had this all wrong. Maybe Carmilla _was_ just a rich party girl. The brunette had placed her hand on Carmilla's thigh and was dictating the rhythm at which they rocked back and forth. Laura got lost in the thought that she wished she were down there with Carmilla, no third wheel, just the two of them. That was when she realised Carmilla had seen her and was staring right at her staring right at them.

“Shit,” Laura muttered and tried to look unimpressed, downright disinterested in fact, as she watched Carmilla spin the blonde in front of her round to face her. Never breaking eye contact with Laura, Camilla grabbed at the blonde’s ass, while the brunette continued to grind behind her. Great. So, she was teasing now. Fantastic. Laura drained her drink and pointed at the fire exit along the balcony from her. Carmilla shrugged and kept dancing, her eyes still on Laura. Laura pointed again at the fire exit and walked away to wait.

The song ended and shortly after, Carmilla was climbing to the top of the stairs and sauntering slowly towards Laura. Observing her closely, Laura noted Carmilla was still in her tuxedo from earlier that evening. Well, what was left of it. Carmilla had clearly lost her tie, jacket and dress shirt somewhere along the way. Wearing a white tank top and suspenders, Carmilla still had her tuxedo trousers and black boots on. Always the biker boots. Luna’s boots.

Laura tried to stifle the cartoon gulp she could feel lodged in her throat as she swallowed and watched Carmilla take her goddamn time walking over to her.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of you coming to find me tonight Cutie?" Carmilla asked quickly and loudly over the music. She seemed fidgety and sniffed a few times before wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

"Cut the crap." Laura said.

"Huh?" Carmilla pretended not to hear Laura over the loud dance track blaring from the club's PA, "It's a little loud in here Sweetheart."

Laura shook her head and took a deep breath. She wasn't going to let whatever game Carmilla was playing make her lose her temper. Laura stepped forward and leaned in to Carmilla's ear, she spoke slow and deliberate to make sure she was understood, “Cut the crap. I know what you're doing and I know you're not high right now, party girl. You’re stone cold sober."

Carmilla tried to control the shiver that ran through her body involuntarily. It was happening again. Laura Hollis tugging at the very fabric of her sanity and threatening to unravel her. What Laura said next however forced her back to reality,

"I know you're Luna, Carm. We need to talk about this."

Carmilla pulled back and put on a neutral expression, "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried her best to keep her face completely blank, the fact Laura had called her Carm was making that hard. Hearing the shortening of her name fall from Laura’s lips after so long had disarmed her a little. It had always made her soften.

Laura shook her head again and looked at the fire exit. It didn't seem to be alarmed (which she was sure meant it violated some sort of building code). Screw it, she thought. She grabbed Carmilla by the hand, shoved the exit open and dragged Carmilla roughly out into the chilly night air.

"What the hell detective?" Carmilla asked incredulously, "I know the cops in Styria City are mostly crooked, but I didn't peg you for the woman-handling type."

Laura spun round to face Carmilla and realised there wasn't a lot of space between them on the small landing, she faltered a little before remembering there was something more important going on at this moment than staring into Carmilla’s dark eyes and getting lost,

"I'm going to say it again, slower this time, in case whatever this is you've got going on here isn't an act." Laura said gritting her teeth and trying to be patient, "I know this whole coked up debutante schtick is a load of crap and I know you are Luna."

Carmilla smirked and her shoulders dropped. Her posture became more languid, less wired, she shoved her hands in her trouser pockets and cocked her head to the side "Not much gets passed you huh Buttercup?" she drawled, "Well, at least one of us isn't high." She shook her head and laughed, "And that vein on the side of your head still pops when you're pissed off. I always thought that was cute."

Laura watched as Carmilla turned and started to climb the fire escape, her hands clenched and unclenched by her sides in frustration, why did the most infuriating person on the planet have to be the vigilante of Styria City. Realising that Carmilla was about to disappear out of view, Laura called after her, "Wait. Hold up. I'm not high either and where are you going?"

Carmilla paused and turned back to look over her shoulder at Laura, "You are high or at least you certainly were a little glassy eyed earlier this evening, and I'm going to the roof so we can hear ourselves think away from that thumping din while we talk."

Laura hesitated for a moment before beginning to climb up after Carmilla, she scoffed when Carmilla held her hand out in assistance and pulled herself over the top of the ladder.

"Where's Clifford?" Carmilla asked, it was something to say, to delay the inevitable conversation they were about to have.

Laura rolled her eyes at yet another red animal reference made at Danny’s expense, "We’re not joined at the hip,” Laura stammered, the four cups of coffee she’d drank earlier were making her agitated and jittery, “We're off duty. I was looking for you on my own time."

"I assumed she was your partner on and off the clock?" Carmilla probed cautiously.

"Not anymore. And that's none of your damn business." Laura snapped, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, "We weren't talking about me. We were talking about you, _Luna_.” Laura threw her arms into the air, exasperated, “Carm what the hell are you doing?"

Carmilla rubbed her hands up and down her arms, goose-bumps prickling her skin, "How did you know?" She turned to face Laura a small smirk forming at the corner of her mouth. If she had to admit it, she was proud that Laura, perfectly imperfect Laura, was the first one to call her out.

"What beyond being the best detective in this dumbass city?" Laura shrugged. She shuffled from foot to foot nervously. She wanted to reach into her pocket and pop a pill. Anything to take the edge of the hammering of her heart against her chest. Carmilla’s earlier accusation about still being high rung in her ears, the shame of being caught out by someone other than Danny stung a little, so she settled on scuffing the toe of her brogue off the ground. "Your boots.”

"My boots?” Carmilla looked at her feet and laughed. She needed to get new footwear maybe.

Laura nodded, “You’ve worn the same brand since we were teenagers.”

“You noticed my feet in high school?”

“Still not talking about me.” Laura reminded, trying to steer the conversation back to Luna and away from the fact she noticed everything about Carmilla in high school. A moment passed silently before Laura asked again, “What do you think you’re doing out there?” Laura could see Carmilla working out the possible responses to her question, “No bullcrap. Straight up.”

Carmilla gave a small laugh, “You can still see the wheels turning huh?” She tapped her temple with her finger.

“Clear as day.” Laura confirmed with a nod.

“Straight up. No bull _crap_?” Carmilla sighed and shrugged, “When I was sat in the airport, waiting for my flight back home I got myself a new smart phone and I sat on that airport floor pouring over all the news I'd missed since falling off the grid.” Carmilla began to pace the length of the roof, “I had no idea how bad crime had gotten in Styria City. I wanted to come back and use everything I'd learned whilst I was away and help clean the place up." Carmilla took an exasperated breath, “I’m just trying to help. I’ve been places. I’ve seen things. I’ve learned so much." Carmilla walked to the edge of the roof and pointed out at the city, “I want to be proud of the city we call home. I want it to be a safe place.”

Laura shook her head in disbelief, “And what the hell do you think I’m trying to do out there?” she spat out angrily, “You can’t prevent every crime in the city.” She knew that from experience.

"No, no, hey, Laur’," Carmilla stepped forward and into Laura’s space, she could see a glut of pain in Laura’s eyes and it almost knocked the wind out of her, "I can just do things that you can’t. I have money and time and I don’t answer to the law."

Another silent moment fell between them. Carmilla cleared her throat. Laura looked up and met Carmilla’s eyes, she didn’t even need time to think about what she was about to ask,

"Do you need help?"

"Excuse me?" Carmilla asked distracted, she had forgotten how the little flecks of gold, lit up Laura’s eyes were when you saw them up close like this.

"Help. Do you want some?" Laura asked again.

Carmilla felt a strong sense of déjà vu. She rocked back a little on her heels as she remembered a ten-year-old version of herself telling Laura to go to hell. She didn’t need anyone’s help.

"You don't have many fans in the police department. Maybe you could use and inside man. Woman. Whatever." Laura offered nervously.

Carmilla smiled. Ten-year-old her was an idiot. Slowly, she stepped further into Laura’s space.

Laura panicked slightly, wait, was this one of those seize the moment moments? Was Carmilla going to...?

Carmilla reached into Laura’s blazer pocket and pulled out a bottle of painkillers, "You're not the only one who pays attention to things detective."

"Hey!" Laura objected as Carmilla pitched the pills off the roof and into the night.

"It needs to stop," Carmilla shrugged, "If you're going to be my inside person, I need you sober."

Laura couldn’t argue with that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks! Happy Sunday. Didn't think I'd get this finished to upload today, but hey whaddya know. I did. TW’s for this chapter: Blood, description of serious injury, more blood. So if you're not a fan of those things, apologies.
> 
> Carmilla gets a lead, Laura comes to the rescue and there's some more back story for Carmilla's missing years. What's Danny doing? Being a nuisance...

Carmilla hung up and tapped her cell phone against her chin. She chewed over what the police Captain had just said to her and stood up from her desk in the library. The video that had interrupted her homecoming dinner had been broadcast from the grounds of Styria City Hospital. From a building that just so happened to have a wing currently being built and named for her family. She needed to get there before the cops could turn it over and bag up anything she might find useful. Carmilla checked her watch. The sun would be going down in moments. Perry’s voice echoed in the back of Carmilla’s brain telling her she shouldn’t be going off half-cocked with no back up. Another voice scolded her about knowing that this was most likely a trap. She ignored both.

Stepping out in to the main foyer of the house, Carmilla located the correct book on the large bookshelf that stood against the far wall in the entrance hall. Running her finger up the spine, she pulled it forward. She smiled as she heard the now familiar click and whirl of the gears working behind the bookshelf. In seconds, it slid effortlessly to the side and she started down the stone steps that led to the air-craft hanger sized space located underneath the Karnstein family home. 

It still filled her with wonder that this space had been under her house the entire time she’d been alive and she wasn’t aware of it. When she’d come home full of ideas about how she was going to tackle the issues in Styria City, LaF had practically pushed her down the secret stairway and enthusiastically showed off their lab where they still tinkered with weapons and vehicles and all sorts of fun _toys_. It suddenly made more sense to Carmilla where LaF spent most of their time.

The space pretty much ran the entire footprint of the house, LaFontaine called it the bunker. Spacious, open, with lots of little odd side rooms for any eventuality. There was a gym, sleeping quarters, a kitchen, there were some rooms Carmilla still hadn’t even been in. She was sure that several people could survive down there for years if the need ever arose. LaF had confirmed that that had pretty much been the point of it when they had helped Carmilla’s father construct it. Why her family would even need such a space, Carmilla didn’t know, but she was glad it was there and fit for the purpose.

Carmilla pulled open a walk-in closet and began the process of gearing up. LaFontaine was hard at work trying to get Luna’s new suit finished, but anytime they thought they had nailed it Carmilla had a complaint. Carmilla looked at the prototypes that lined the wall as she disrobed, Prototype II was too flashy. Like something you’d see in an over the top comic book. Prototype III had amazing body armour and more of the look she was hoping to achieve, but it was too heavy. Prototype IV was lighter but it was also real shiny for some reason, which she was sure LaF had explained, but the shine off the suit meant it was going to be too visible. So, she was stuck with Prototype I.

Carmilla adjusted the mouthpiece of her hood and stepped back out into the open area of the bunker, crossing to the door of LaFontaine’s lab. LaFontaine and Perry had taken a rare date night, or more to the point Carmilla had chased them out the house so they could have a nice dinner. Carmilla searched the messy work bench, which was scattered with parts of what she could only assume was Prototype V, for some paper and a pen. She always made sure to leave her family a note now so they wouldn’t worry. It simply read ‘Gone fishing’. Carmilla taped it to LaF’s workbench where she was sure they would see it before exiting the room and walking to where her bike stood.

Swinging her leg over the bike, Carmilla settled into her seat. Putting the bike in neutral, she leaned over and set the petcock to open. As she toed the kick-starter out with her foot, Carmilla pulled herself up by the handlebars and stomped her full weight down to start the bike. She revved the engine a couple of times and smiled. Man, she loved this bike. When she tore out of the bunker on it, she felt like the whole world was downhill and an unseen hand was on her back pushing her towards her destination. Carmilla gunned the throttle and headed for the Hospital.

#

Laura pulled the pencil out the messy bun atop her head and began to chew on the end. She shook her long hair out and absentmindedly sat down on her sofa whilst continuing to read the case file in her hand. This would go quicker with a beer. Maybe a whiskey. Alternatively, anything to stop her brain shooting off on tangents so she could focus, but she’d made Carmilla a promise to stay clean whilst they were investigating this case. It had been a month.

One month sober. A sober month of her and Danny not really talking about the giant Carmilla shaped elephant in their lives. Danny wasn’t stupid, it was only a matter of time before she linked Carmilla to Luna if she hadn’t already. Laura was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or the other biker boot. Laura chuckled at her own joke as she pulled her legs up on to the couch to sit criss-crossed.

She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. It had been a month of late-night covert meetings with Carmilla. Hushed conversations in out the way diners. A month of reaching for things and accidentally bumping hands, bumping knees, bumping elbows, all of which led to Laura inevitably blushing. A month of not talking about, well, anything other than the increasing number of break and enters occurring at Karnstein Enterprises and their subsidiaries.

Ever since that night at Carmilla’s welcome home dinner there had been a steady stream of similar invasions. Each one escalating in violence. Whoever was doing this, it was definitely personal. Corporate offices and research facilities had been the targets of raids, the employees terrorised. Nothing important was missing from any of the locations and yet they kept finding a thumb drive at each scene. Each drive had one file on it. A video from that same dead, robotic approximation of Carmilla’s Mom. J.P, the Ward City PD lead tech geek who was helping them with the digital side of the case, had nicknamed the thing MOTHER. He would refer to it as if it was a living person, which Laura found gave her the heebie-jeebies.

The videos all varied slightly, but the general message was the same throughout, that the last living Karnstein heir had to tell the world what her parents did or the attacks would keep coming. The only problem was, Carmilla didn’t have a clue what the attacker was talking about. Her parents were philanthropists. They had made it their life’s work to help those less fortunate. Surely if they had done something so awful to warrant these attacks, she would know. Someone would know.

Laura had spent the past month watching Carmilla co-operate with the Styria City Police during the day whilst chasing dead end after dead end at night as Luna. Laura was fascinated at how Carmilla would flip between her dual personalities. As Carmilla Karnstein, the last Karnstein heir, she would put on tight smiles for the cameras, plead for information or for the seemingly random violence to stop. As Luna, she would cut through the less desirable areas of the city, not afraid to intimidate or interrogate anyone for information. Of course, so far, there was zero information that helped and Laura felt she wasn’t getting any closer to the actual Carmilla Karnstein she was interested in. The real Carmilla Karnstein.

It made Laura nervous as all hell to think of Carmilla going toe to toe with the criminal element of Styria City with nothing but her fists and a bulletproof vest. She refused to carry any sort of weapon, at least not one she could effectively defend herself with. Carmilla had reeled off some mantra, ‘Avoid rather than check; check rather than hurt; hurt rather than maim; maim rather than kill; for all life is precious, nor can any be replaced’. She said it was some sort of warrior code. Laura couldn’t help but think she remembered it coming from a 70’s TV show, but the sentiment rang true regardless. Carmilla wouldn’t carry a weapon that would kill.

The press, of course, were having a field day turning over any stone they could. Extrapolating barely interesting incidents in Carmilla’s parent’s life into scandalous reasons for why this was happening. LaFontaine and Perry had been questioned at length, but if they knew something? They sure were good at keeping it under their hat. Laura saw no reason for them to be hiding any information. They were always congenial and co-operative.

Laura had spent her day off pouring over old cases (she was surprised just how many law suits and restraining orders involved the Karnstein name) trying to tie something, anything to what was going on presently. Laura’s phone bleeped to life on the coffee table in front of her. She shut the case file and reached forward to grab it, “Hollis,” she answered. When no one replied and the ringing continued, she realised it was the burner phone Carmilla had given her in her pocket that was ringing, “Hey I was just thinking about you.” Laura said, pulling out the burner phone and flipping it open.

“Yeah…” Carmilla wheezed, “All good I hope?”

“Is everything ok? You sound a little weird.” Laura gave a little nervous laugh. She couldn’t tell if Carmilla had been running and was winded or if something else was going on.

“I might be a little stabbed.” Carmilla choked out.

“Stabbed!” Laura leapt to her feet, grabbing her car keys and jamming her feet into a pair of sneakers, “Define a little stabbed?” She yelled into the phone as she rammed her arms into her coat and ran out the front door.

“Ok,” Carmilla swallowed thickly, “I’m a whole lot stabbed.”

“Fudgeing stabbed?” Laura threw open her car door and jumped in the driver’s seat, “Where the hell are you?”

“In an alley…”

“Carm?” Laura could still hear her breathing on the other end of the line, “Carmilla!” she barked, “You have to tell me where you are.”

“…Fitzgerald and Farver…Modern Big…”

Laura turned her key in the ignition and stomped on the accelerator, “You’re only a block away from the hospital, and you couldn’t drag your own vigilante ass there?” She joked, she had to keep Carmilla conscious and talking until she got there.

“Hospital go boom,” Carmilla slurred.

“Carm, I’m on my way, just stay on the line. I’m coming.” As if saying it aloud had tempted fate, Laura heard three beeps before the line went dead.

Carmilla took the phone away from her ear and blearily stared at the dead black screen. Piece of shit burner had run out of battery. Feebly she pushed herself off the alley wall and tossed the phone, before collapsing to her knees. Carmilla pitched forward and coughed a whole mess of blood on to the concrete of the alley. She thought about the voice in her head from earlier that had warned her that this was definitely a trap. The voice had been right. The voice belonged to Matska Belmonde. If Carmilla had learned anything from Matska in the five years she lodged with her, it was that Matska was always right. Carmilla grabbed the end of the section of rebar currently sticking out her abdomen and attempted to keep it as steady as possible as she slumped to her side. She let out a gargled moan. Nope. That still fucking hurt.

Carmilla was fighting to stay conscious, to keep breathing through the pain. She thought about what she’d learned in the mountains with Matska. How to control pain, how to make it work for you. She started with some simple image generation. If she could keep her mind busy, she could distract it from the pain.

Carmilla thought about her birthday five years ago. The mountain path she’d hiked. The footbridge she’d crossed to get to the big, impressive wooden door. How tall the stone walls were that stretched around the side of the mountain. At the time, Carmilla wasn’t entirely sure they weren’t still part of the mountain, she would find out later that they were.

It had taken Carmilla a moment to work up the courage to swing the iron knocker on the door. A small slit slid open and she saw a pair of eyes peeking out. The slit shut as rapidly as it had opened. A second or so passed before it opened again and the eyes were there and gone again in seconds. This time when the eyes disappeared, the slit remained open. Carmilla could hear voices faintly coming from the hole in the door,

“Looks like another rich kid wandered up the mountain.”

“Is she hot?”

“Smoking.”

“Open the door then.”

“We’re at capacity. I’ll get my ass handed to me if I open the door to a pretty girl.”

Carmilla had cleared her throat and said, “I can hear you, y’know?”

“Shit.”

The slit was slid shut again and moments after the door creaked open, “Are you lost?” an impressively athletic, black girl around Carmilla’s age asked.

“I’m looking for the collective,” Carmilla said, taking her sunglasses off so she could look the girl in the eye.

“She’s not lost then.” Came the second voice, still hidden behind the door.

“Damn it S.J,” The girl at the door hissed over her shoulder, “I keep telling people you’re not as dumb as you look.”

“I’m not here to cause any trouble.” Carmilla said taking a step towards the door, her hand outstretched, “My name is Carmilla Karnstein. Elle told me I would find the collective here.”

A smile broke out across the gatekeeper’s face, “Elle sent you? You should have led with that.” She stepped forward and shook Carmilla’s hand enthusiastically, “I’m Mel, that’s S.J” Mel threw a thumb over her shoulder at S.J who was now stood in the doorway waving, a friendly smile plastered across her face.

“Why is my front door open?” An authoritative voice boomed from somewhere behind the door.

“Fuck!” Mel exclaimed, physically startled, “be right back.”

Carmilla watched curiously as Mel shoved S.J back inside and shut the door over. Carmilla shrugged her large backpack off her shoulders and waited. She unhooked her canteen and took a huge gulp of water. And waited.

Minutes passed before the door creaked open again. Carmilla stood straight, finding herself face to face with quite possibly the most impressive and intimidating woman she had ever seen in her life.

“Elle told you how to find this place?”

“Yes Ma’am,” Carmilla nodded, “She said you could—”

“None of that Ma’am nonsense,” the woman scoffed, “you can call me Matska.”

“Carmilla”

“Did you sleep with Elle?” Matska asked. Looking Carmilla up and down, sizing up her intention.

“What? No. I mean. No. We were just friends.” Carmilla lied, she was not used to feeling this flustered. This was the last line of questioning she had expected.

“Strange,” Matska mused, “you’re just her type.”

Carmilla wasn’t sure how to respond. Torn between keeping a respectful silence and defending what was left of her virtue, which let’s face it wasn’t much, she faltered.

Matska had let out a hearty laugh, letting Carmilla off the hook. She stepped aside and gestured for Carmilla to enter, “If a warrior as worthy as Elle sent you, we will welcome and make room for one more.”

Carmilla heaved her backpack up on to one shoulder and stepped over the threshold. Mel and S.J stood respectively to attention against a stone wall beyond the door.

“Mel, show Carmilla where she can leave her belongings.” Matska commanded.

“Does that mean…” Mel trailed off when she saw the unamused look on Matska’s face.

“You’ve got a new roommate.” Matska confirmed.

“But I just got rid of…” Mel clipped her sentence short again knowing this was her fault, “I opened the door.”

“You opened the door.” Matska nodded, “When you have Carmilla situated, call a meeting please.” Matska walked away and left them stood in the stone vestibule.

“She’s extraordinary, huh?” S.J asked Carmilla as Mel took the lead, taking them down a corridor.

“Elle had mentioned Mattie had a presence.” Carmilla adjusted her bag and tried to figure out what the look Mel was giving her meant, “Did I say something I shouldn’t?”

“Don’t call her that to her face if you don’t want a complete dressing down.” Mel advised.

“Who? Mattie?”

“Ssh,” S.J cautioned, “only the folks closest to her get to call her that.”

“Ok, ok, I get it.” Carmilla said as they reached the end of the corridor and it opened out into a surprisingly ornate courtyard.

Carmilla tried to take in everything she was seeing. Groups of girls and women populated the courtyard. Some were practicing hand-to-hand combat, some were reading and others were just enjoying each other’s company. It weirdly reminded Carmilla of her all girls high school, but with a chiller atmosphere.

“Sorry about before,” Mel offered as they turned off the courtyard and down a corridor lined with doors, “about you overhearing us discussing you.”

Carmilla laughed, “Which part? When you said I looked rich or I looked hot?” she noted the blush spreading across S. J’s cheeks.

“Both.” Mel stated, “It was presumptuous and rude.”

“But not untrue.” Carmilla replied with a wink.

S.J barked a laugh, “I think she’s going to fit right in.”

“This is us.” Mel said stopping at a door at the end of the corridor, “I hope to Hypnos you don’t snore.”

Laura drummed her fingers on the steering wheel impatiently as she waited for the light to turn green. She half considered putting the Mars light out on the roof to beat traffic, but it was hardly inconspicuous.

When her phone started jumping around the passenger seat, she glanced over to see who was calling. Shit. It was the station. Laura lifted her phone and jammed it between her chin and shoulder to keep both hands free, “Hollis.” She answered.

“Ah, so you’ll answer you phone if I call from the station, but not from my cell phone.”

It was Danny. Of course, it was. Laura had been screening her calls all day, “I was visiting my Dad.” Laura regretted the lie the moment it came out her mouth. It was manipulative as shit, but it was a lie she knew would get Danny to soften and ultimately stand down.

“Oh,” Danny’s tone softened as predicted, “Where are you now?”

“Driving back,” Laura closed her eyes as she lied again, willing that fucking light to turn green, “I had to pull over to take your call.” She tried to keep the urgency out her voice, but wanted Danny off the line as soon as possible.

“You won’t have heard. That’s why I’ve been calling all day,” Danny explained, “J.P. finally managed to trace where the banquet video was broadcast from. It was sent from the City Hospital.”

Laura lent her head against the steering wheel, “An actual lead?” A lead she knew was currently ablaze 15 minutes from where she was idling in traffic. She could see the smoke plume on the horizon.

“Yeah,” Danny said sounding tired and defeated, “that’s the good news. The bad is that our lead exploded a half hour ago.”

“Shoot,” Laura muttered, trying to sound surprised as she put her foot on the gas and tried not to peel past the backed-up traffic in front of her.

“The FD are still struggling to put the blaze out.”

“Fill me in in the morning?” Laura asked as she turned on to the end of Fitzgerald Street, “I really should get back on the road.”

“Sure. Drive safe Short-stuff.” Danny offered.

Laura could hear a million unsaid things in Danny’s tone. Things she didn’t want to hear. Things she didn’t have time to hear. She hung up the phone, tossed it back on the passenger seat, and hoped to hell that Carmilla was still breathing.

#

Danny slowly put her desk phone back in the cradle and sighed. The TV in the corner of the bullpen was silently replaying the news of the fire raging at the hospital. Danny was surprised. More than that, she was surprised that she still could be surprised. Laura was lying. It shouldn’t have come as a shock, Laura had lied about a million things in the last year. So why was it still such a gut punch when it happened?

Danny knew that Laura had been at their— her apartment all day. When it became clear that Laura was screening her calls, Danny had driven over there. The shades were down and Laura’s car sat parked (badly) in the parking lot out front. So why lie? What the hell could Laura be hiding that she would lie about visiting her dad? Danny regretted not just banging on the door and confronting Laura, but she knew that the direct approach was the fastest way to have Laura freeze her out completely. Something was going on and she was determined to figure it out.

“Tall detective,” J.P greeted Danny as he entered the bullpen.

“Average sized tech dude,” Danny replied, “I thought you nerds had cleared out a while ago?”

“Forgot something in the office.” J.P pointed at the elevator, “just gonna descend into the bowels of the building and retrieve it.” The TV in the corner caught J.P’s eye, “You don’t think we did that do you?”

Danny followed his gaze back to the TV, “The explosion at the hospital?”

J.P nodded solemnly, “I mean we find out the first message was broadcast from the hospital and then…BOOM!” He mimed and explosion with his hands.

Danny shook her head, “The only person who knew outside the department was Karnstein herself.”

J.P shrugged, “Are we not looking at her as a potential suspect?”

Danny furrowed her brow. They were not.

“She was gone for, like, what? Six years?” J.P asked

“Eight,” Danny confirmed.

“Eight years is a long time detective,” J.P continued, “We know next to nothing about what she did in that time, what happened to her. Maybe MOTHER is trying to warn us about the Karnstein’s in general.”

Danny leaned back in her chair, “Maybe.” She said thinking the notion over.

“Anyways,” J.P awkwardly gestured at the elevator again, “I’m gonna head down. Don’t stay too late.”

“Goodnight.” Danny replied distractedly. Why weren’t they looking harder at Karnstein as a suspect? She’d seen weirder shit during her time on the force than Carmilla Karnstein being the perpetrator of these attacks. But what was her motive? Danny sniffed the air in the office. Someone must have left a window cracked somewhere, the smell of the hospital fire had drifted in.

Danny stood and snatched up her car keys. She glanced at her watch as she shrugged on her jacket, 10 p.m. It wasn’t too late to pay the Karnstein estate a visit.

#

A wailing fire truck blew past the alleyway breaking Carmilla’s concentration and forcing her back to reality. When the sirens continued loudly long after they should have, Camilla realised it was her that was actually wailing. She clamped a hand over her mouth and desperately tried to get her breathing under control before she passed out.

Carmilla concentrated on her other hand. She still had it wrapped around the rebar and could feel it was slick with blood. She started visualising again, if she concentrated hard enough she could imagine that her hand was gripping a Bo staff, her sweaty palm trying to find a good grip on the wood. Somewhere to the side she heard Mel say,

“Do you know how to handle that thing?”

Carmilla felt the weight of the staff in her hands and tried to get a better grip on it. Elle had prepared her for this, they had practiced, and she was a natural apparently. This hadn’t surprised Carmilla entirely, sports came naturally to her and she was a quick study. Camilla swung the staff around a few times and adjusted her grip again. There, that felt better.

“Ok the rules are simple,” said a short haired, older woman who had introduced herself to Carmilla as Delilah. She stood separating Carmilla and Mel with her arm, “no low blows, no head shots, no trying to kill each other. First to score four taps on their opponent wins.” Delilah turned to face Carmilla specifically, “Understood?”

“Understood.” Carmilla nodded.

Delilah lifted her arm, “Show us what you got.”

Carmilla wasted no time. She swiftly ducked down and swept Mel’s legs out from under her.

Mel landed with a surprised, “Ooft,” and felt the tip of Carmilla’s staff graze her chin.

“One nil,” Delilah called to the assembled crowd of women who clapped their tepid appreciation.

Mel leapt to her feet and they squared off again. The clash of wood on wood echoed round the gym as they fought for the point. Carmilla saw an opening and smacked her staff playfully off Mel’s ass as she skipped round behind her.

Mel laughed, “Okay I know that Elle taught you that one.”

“Two - nil,” Carmilla gloated, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was enjoying this.

“Two - one,” Mel said shortly after, tapping Carmilla lightly on the knee, “if you’re gloating, you’re not paying attention.” She smirked.

Carmilla cursed herself for getting distracted. She knew this was a test and she desperately wanted to pass.

“Hah! Two all,” Mel said triumphantly as she stuck her staff through and opening in Carmilla’s guard and poked her in the ribs.

Carmilla huffed as they circled one another. This time when they came together, neither of them could get the upper hand. Carmilla could feel her hands starting to go numb from the shock of blocking Mel’s blows. She would have been lying if she said she wasn’t relieved when Matska stood from her makeshift throne at the head of the room and interrupted them,

“Enough,” she held her hand up, “I’ve seen enough.”

Carmilla stood bent at the waist, trying to catch her breath. Was that a good enough? A bad enough? She had no idea.

Matska pointed to her, “You can stay.” She smiled wide, “It’s going to be fun building you up. It’s clear you have bags of potential, darling.”

Carmilla grinned and thanked her. It had been a while since she’d wanted to fulfil the potential someone saw in her. Mel clapped her on the back as the room filled with cheers of approval.

Later that evening, post curfew, Carmilla had been lying on her new bed, staring at the ceiling and marvelling about what a weird ass birthday it had been.

“So, what are you running away from?” Mel had asked out of nowhere.

“Nothing.” Carmilla replied. She was too tired to try to explain anything. Her muscles were screaming from the exertion of the hike and the initiation. All Carmilla wanted to do was drift to sleep and find out what the next day would hold.

“Bullshit,” Mel laughed, “We’re all running away from something up here in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere. Should I have asked who instead of what?” Mel unfolded a piece of paper and held it up for Carmilla to see, “This her? Who you ran away from?”

Carmilla’s face flushed with embarrassment and anger, “You went through my stuff?” The paper Mel held was a page Carmilla had torn from her senior yearbook, a picture of Laura in action on the soccer field.

“Had to check for weapons,” Mel shrugged, “so who is she?”

“She isn’t anyone.” Carmilla said as she crossed the small space between their two beds and snatched the page back. She folded it carefully and placed it in the pocket at the back of her journal. Where it belonged.

“Clearly she’s someone.” Mel said derisively, “She’s the reason you left.”

Carmilla shook her head no, “She’s the reason I should have stayed.”

Laura mounted the pavement and came to a screeching halt at the mouth of the alleyway that ran between the Modern Big store and the shuttered restaurant next door. She left the car idling as she leapt from the driver’s seat, slamming her door shut and vaulting across the hood of her car to get into the alley,

“Don’tbedead, don’tbedead, don’tbedead, don’tbedead,” she chanted under her breath as she sprinted to where Carmilla lay prone on her side amongst the dumpsters and detritus. Laura skidded to her knees and reached a shaky hand under Carmilla’s hood to feel for a pulse, “Oh thank fu…dge!” It was faint, but Carmilla’s heart was still beating.

Laura gently wedged her arm under Carmilla and tried to move her into a sitting position so she could drag her to the car.

Carmilla groaned, “Mel, I don’t wanna get up for morning affirmations.”

Laura ignored Carmilla’s delirious mumbling and moved so she was front to back with her. Laura settled her arms in a tight grip under Carmilla’s and around her chest, “Carm, it’s me, I’m gonna get you out of here, I’m gonna get you help.” Laura grunted as she dragged Carmilla’s dead weight down the alley.

“Laura?” Carmilla groaned. She couldn’t focus her eyes to figure out if this was actually happening or she was just hallucinating from blood loss, “Are you wearing sweat pants in public?”

Laura laughed quietly with relief. If Carmilla had presence of mind to mock her SCPD sweatpants, she was probably going to be ok,

“We can discuss what I wear in the comfort of my own home later,” Laura propped Carmilla up against the back tire and opened the car door, “right now we have to figure out how to get you in here.”

“I think I can stand,” Carmilla said weakly, stretching out a blood-soaked arm for help.

Laura grabbed a hold and pulled Carmilla into a semi crouched position. For her part, Carmilla didn’t make a peep even though Laura could see the pain etched across her sweaty, pale face. They side stepped gently until Carmilla was lined up with the open car door and Laura managed to bundle the injured vigilante in to the back seat. She slammed the door shut and vaulted the hood again, settling in to the driver’s seat and rummaging through her glove compartment.

“What are you looking for?” Carmilla moaned.

“Painkillers.” Laura replied, frantically tossing the contents into the foot well.

“For you or for me?” Carmilla tried to laugh but it came out more like a choked gurgle.

“Now’s not the time to be funny Karnstein.” Laura chastised.

“I don’t need them Laura, just drive.” Carmilla pleaded.

Laura gave up her fruitless search and stomped on the gas pedal, “Where the hell am I driving to? The hospital is largely on fire.”

“Home…Perry…get me to…” Carmilla started to slip in and out of consciousness.

“No, no, nononono, you dumb, stupid, vigilante, don’t you dare die on me. You hear me?” Laura yelled as she frantically cut through the streets of Styria City.

“I hear you. You’re yelling loud enough.” Carmilla groaned and tried to shift into something that resembled a comfortable position. Her blood-slicked hands kept slipping all over the leather upholstery anytime she tried to get a purchase.

Laura glanced over her shoulder as she skidded the car around a corner, Carmilla had gone quiet again, and her sickly pallor was getting worse if that was even possible. Laura floored the gas again as they hit the city limits, “Hey! Karnstein!” she yelled, trying to rouse Carmilla again, “If you’ve bled out all over my backseat, so help me god you’re paying for the reupholster.” She checked back on Carmilla again and could see a faint smile on her face,

“I’ll pay for a whole new car if you’d like.”

“I like my shitty car just fine thank you. I just don’t want the blood of the most wanted woman in Styria City staining the upholstery.” Laura could see the Karnstein estate looming above them.

“Turn right in about half a mile,” Carmilla coughed.

Laura looked to her right and saw nothing but forest, “You’re not making sense Carm. There’s nothing but trees.”

“Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night.” Carmilla mumbled.

“The fudge?” Laura asked incredulously, “Now you’re quoting Bruce Springsteen at me.”

“Just…trustme…turn.” Carmilla slurred, slipping out of consciousness again.

Laura pulled the steering wheel to the right, closed her eyes tight and braced for impact. When all she felt was a really weird tingling sensation and a coldness seep into her skin she cautiously opened one eye, quickly followed by the other when she realised they were speeding down a super narrow dirt tunnel. She tried to keep the car level as she pumped the breaks but that didn’t stop her losing both wing mirrors and the radio antenna before coming to a bumpy and dusty stop. Laura coughed and wiped her eyes. Judging from the groaning coming from the backseat Carmilla was still amongst the living and Laura was thankful for small mercies.

“Turn off the lights and get out the car. Slowly.”

Laura looked up and saw LaFontaine in a fetching two-piece pyjama set pointing an assault rifle at her windshield. Perry stood next to them, her hair in rollers, with a cocked shotgun. They made for a formidable pair. Laura fumbled for her keys and turned off her lights so that the Carmilla’s guardians could see her.

“Oh it’s Laura!” LaFontaine exclaimed, pointing their weapon at the ground.

Laura stumbled out the car, pointed to the back seat and instantly began a rambled explanation, “She told me to just bring her here, the hospital is on fire, and I didn’t know what else to do so I did what she told me to. What the fuck was that tunnel? Why couldn’t I see the entrance from the road? What the hell is this place?” Laura looked around in confused wonder.

LaFontaine put a comforting hand on Laura’s shoulder and stated quite simply, “This is the bunker.”

Perry threw open the back seat of Laura’s car, “Oh dear. Oh no. LaFontaine, we need to prep the emergency O.R.” Perry ran back towards a door at the side of the bunker, “I told you this would happen,” she yelled, stricken, as she yanked the door open and disappeared inside the room, “I warned you both that nothing good would come of this endeavour.” She continued as she emerged in a doctor’s white coat, wheeling out a gurney.

LaF had knelt down and was murmuring soothing words to Carmilla as they stroked her hair.

“Come on, let’s get her out.” Perry commanded and the three of them heaved Carmilla out of the car and on to the gurney. Perry pulled a pen light out her breast pocket and began checking Carmilla’s vitals.

As they got closer to the door at the side of the bunker Laura could finally see what was inside, it was a small operating theatre.

“Best you stay out here kiddo,” LaFontaine instructed Laura softly.

The door to the operating theatre shut and Laura was left, dumbfounded, and alone in the quiet of the bunker.

“I want to stay…but I have to go.” Carmilla mumbled.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Perry replied, unable to hide the tremor in her voice.

“Perr’?” Carmilla asked confused, “You’re not supposed to be here.” She could feel someone slipping something over her head, covering her nose and mouth and then, darkness.

“If you want to stay you’ll stay.” Matska’s voice came from the dark. “You don’t have to go anywhere.”

Carmilla blinked a few times as Matska’s quarters came into view, “You heard what the new arrival said, Mattie. The world thinks I’m dead. My family thinks I’m dead.”

“For the last five years have we not been your family?” Matska gave Carmilla a hard stare, “What did you think would happen?”

Carmilla’s chest was tight. It felt like someone was sitting on her, “You are my family, but so are they. They looked after me when I had no one else. I didn’t mean to stay away for so long,” tears threatened at her eyes, “with all the good we were doing, all the people we were helping, I, I, I guess I just lost track of time. I didn’t know it had been eight years since I left. I didn’t know they would declare me dead after seven, Mattie.”

Matska’s face softened and she let out a resigned sigh, “I let Elle go with love. As much as it pains me, I can’t keep you here if you do not want to stay. I can let you go with love also.”

The tears fell freely from Carilla’s eyes now.

“Come on now,” Matska pulled Carmilla to her breast in a tight embrace, “we’ll feast and then Mel will accompany you down the mountain.”

Laura sat atop a workbench picking dry blood out from under her fingernails. Carmilla’s blood. It felt like she had been sitting there for years. The clock on her phone confirmed it had instead merely been an hour and a half. She looked up sharply when she heard the operating room door open, “Is she…” the rest of the question died on her tongue when she saw a tired, but relieved looking LaFontaine exit the room.

“Still kicking,” they replied, “She’s made of…strong stuff. The rebar thankfully didn’t clip anything important. How are you doing kiddo?”

Laura laughed aloud, clamping her hand over her mouth at the inappropriateness of the reaction.

LaF smiled kindly, “Little bit of shock?”

Laura nodded holding her thumb and forefinger a tiny way apart, “Little bit.”

“You want a drink?” LaFontaine asked, crossing to a small kitchenette area, “I need something to settle my nerves.”

Laura thought for a moment. Thought about the promise she had made Carmilla. She looked at her still trembling hands, “Please.” She replied. It had been a hell of a night.

LaFontaine nodded and set to fixing two neat whiskeys, “We had a visit from Detective Lawrence earlier.” They stated as they handed Laura her drink.

Laura groaned before asking, “Was she looking for me?”

“No. On the contrary. She was looking for us. Had some new questions for us regarding the case. Regarding Carmilla’s mental state since she returned.” LaF pulled over a task chair and eased theirself down into it wearily.

Laura put her head in her hands and shook it back in forth, a little in despair, mostly in disbelief, “Cookies and cream, she thinks Carmilla is doing this?”

LaF nodded, “It sure seems that way.”

Laura shook her head again, “You know I have some questions of my own?”

“I thought you might,” LaFontaine gestured round the room as if they were trying to figure out the best place to start, “The trees you drove through to hit the tunnel entrance aren’t really there.”

“Since I didn’t crash headfirst into them, I had deduced as much myself,” Laura laughed as she took a sip of her drink. The familiar warmth in her throat and chest was soothing her frayed nerves.

“Think of it as a kind of 3D projection system. You should see what should be there and you aren’t tempted to poke around looking for something else.” LaF nodded over to Laura’s trashed sedan, “The tunnel was built for Carmilla’s bike. I think that’s the first time a car has attempted to fit through it.”

“Well thankfully we didn’t get stuck.”

Laura and LaF sat in silence for a moment. Their thoughts in the small operating room.

“So, what is this? Luna’s super-secret hide out?” Laura broke the silence.

“Something like that” LaFontaine replied draining their drink, “Technically it was a space I helped Karl dig out in case the family ever had to…” LaF trailed off before mumbling the rest of their explanation, “…live underground for any period of time.”

“I never took Mr. Karnstein as a doomsday truther.” Laura mused.

“You want another?” LaFontaine asked, getting to their feet and returning to the kitchenette.

“No, I’m still good with this one thanks,” Laura answered, taking another small sip of the whiskey in her hand, “I didn’t know that Perry could perform emergency surgery either.” She couldn’t help but keep probing. Laura knew that now wasn’t really the time but the investigator in her was way too curious.

“Well you know we were in the Army?” LaFontaine asked. They as they set to fixing theirself another drink, “Surgeon,” they pointed at the operating room, “Tech and weapons expert.” They pointed at theirself.

Laura nodded. It made sense. However, she still had a boatload of questions.

Perry exited the operating room and gave LaFontaine and Laura a tired smile as she pulled the surgical cap from her head. LaFontaine crossed to where she stood and placed a gentle kiss to Perry’s temple,

“She’s stable,” Perry breathed a sigh of relief, “You got her here just in time Laura.”

Laura hopped off the workbench, “Can I…? I mean, is it ok if I see her?”

“Of course, dear.” Perry replied, “She’s still going to be out of it for a little while though.”

“That’s ok. I just want to sit with her.”

LaFontaine looked at Perry knowingly. Perry scowled a little at their ‘I told you so’ face.

Laura paused at the door to the operating room and looked back at Carmilla’s guardians, “Don’t worry about Danny. I’ll take care of that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hey. Look at that! There's J.P and Mel and S.J and Mattie. Told you more of them would be popping up and you'd know them. Poor Carm took a bit of a kicking this chapter, but who blew up the hospital and caused her injury? How did she get from the hospital to the alleyway Laura found her in? Will Laura stop blushing and maybe make a move? Who knows! No, that's not true. I know. More in the next chapter, I promise.
> 
> Also, good news. I said there might be smut? There will be smut! I got that shit planned out and good to go. But...slow burn. Sorry. It'll be your reward for sticking with 45,500 words of this nonsense.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hi, welcome back and thank you if you’re sticking with this. I appreciate it. This chapter? Danny is uncharacteristically a douche. Hollstein start flirting in the way only useless lesbians can and y’all finally find out what happened to that letter.
> 
> TW for this chapter: Mentions of blood and what not again. Btw, if I'm not TW tagging anything and you would like me to, please drop a comment. Appreciate it.

Danny couldn’t sleep. She’d lain awake for the last hour tossing and turning, before settling for just staring at the ceiling. Something about this whole Karnstein case just didn’t make sense. Her visit to the Karnstein estate hadn’t shed any new light on the thing either. It had left her more frustrated if nothing else.

Carmilla hadn’t even been home. LaFontaine and Perry had just returned from an evening out and said they believed she was on a date. When Danny had pushed for more information about where Carmilla had been during her “missing” years, they stuck to their previous story word perfect. They were vague and repeated Carmilla hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with them. The best person to answer her questions would be Carmilla. Which was convenient. Being that she wasn’t home and Danny couldn’t get within six feet of her any other time to actually ask any questions. Laura on the other hand? It would appear she was now the unofficial Karnstein liaison for the police department.

Was that why Laura was lying about visiting her Dad? Danny huffed and shifted, trying to get more comfortable. Old jealousy and bad feeling tugged at her heart and made her stomach churn, was Laura who Carmilla was out on a date with? Danny screwed her eyes shut and tried to plead with her brain to slow down, be sensible, go to sleep!

Counting sheep had not helped. Reciting Goodnight Moon from memory _really_ hadn’t helped. Hell, masturbating didn’t even help. It had just made her think of Laura and want to pee. Danny threw the covers off her body and stomped wearily to the bathroom. She didn’t bother turning the light on, preferring to piss in the dark rather than chance catching her reflection in the mirror. She was loathed to admit she wasn’t a fan of looking at herself these days.

Danny flushed, washed her hands and padded back to her bedroom. She sat on her bed wearily and opened her bedside drawer. Trying to avoid looking at the ring box that sat atop the pile of papers she was digging through, Danny sighed. She couldn’t quite bring herself to pawn it, not yet. Finding what she was looking for, Danny pulled out a small silver key and resignedly rose from her bed. She felt the knot in her stomach tighten as she opened her closet and clicked on the light.

Danny popped off a vent cover and reached in for the lockbox she knew was there. She had zero need to hide the box in the shitty apartment she was renting, Laura didn’t live here after all, but Danny still felt better if the box was tucked away out of sight, where she couldn’t see it. After pulling out the box, Danny shuffled to the kitchen and sat down at the table. She put the key in the lock and turned it slowly, opening the lid as if there was a poisonous creature lurking inside.

Nestled inside the box was a bundle of paper and card. Postcards from exotic locations, places Danny had barely even heard of. The first time she intercepted Laura’s mail had been an accident, she had chalked it up to good fortune, bumping into the mail carrier as they were putting mail in the mailbox. Then it became a habit. Danny would show up at the right time every morning, collect the mail and bring it to Laura with a coffee. She even started bringing the mail carrier a coffee. Ever the dutiful girlfriend doing what she could to help. Danny cringed.

The postcards had arrived frequently in the first two years Carmilla was gone, but then they came less and less frequently until they didn’t come at all and Danny no longer had to worry about intercepting Laura’s mail. Danny had no idea why she had kept them all this time. She never read them more than once. Once was all she allowed herself, scared that Carmilla’s loving words and overly poetic sentiment would somehow sour her on _her_ Laura.

Standing with purpose, Danny opened the drawer next to her refrigerator and began digging through the junk until she found a box of matches. She snatched up the bundle from the table and tossed it in the sink. Before setting the postcards alight, Danny pulled out a crumpled and faded envelope from in-between the pile, ‘Laura’ written on the front in Carmilla’s barely legible, loopy handwriting. Setting the lit match to the corner of the postcards, Danny took a deep breath. In the whole time she had had the thing, she had never bothered to read it. Not even the morning she stole it from Carmilla’s room. All that had been important was that Laura didn’t read it. Danny shook out the match, pulled the letter from the envelope, and began to read,

_Dear Laura,_

_I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving you to wake up alone. This, this was all planned. Me leaving, it was all planned. What happened between us wasn’t. I had no idea you would be on that roof. I had no idea you would end up in my bed. I had no idea I would to want to stay. You know it’s not that simple though right? My reasons for wanting to leave Styria City haven’t changed, even if I now have a reason to want to stay. You also have your own…stuff…to sort out._

_I’m going to be off the grid (mostly, I think), but I want you to know that’ll be thinking of you and I’ll be in touch._

_It was always only you,_

_Carm_

Danny snorted and dropped the letter on to the pile of postcards. ‘Stuff’? Real subtle Karnstein. She watched the flames consume it. When she was satisfied, she turned the tap on, extinguished the fire and lumbered back to bed.

#

The next morning, Laura tugged on her shirt collar self-consciously as she rode the elevator to the bullpen. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep at Carmilla’s bedside, but exhaustion had managed to knock her unconscious shortly after she had sat down. When Perry had woken her gently that morning and muttered a disapproving,

“You look a fright dear, let’s get you cleaned up,”

Laura certainly hadn’t expected to turn up to the morning briefing in one of Carmilla’s ridiculously expensive tailored suits. All be it with the pants legs hastily tailored by Perry due to the slight height difference. Laura also hadn’t expected to find her car, wing mirrors reattached, sat out front of the Karnstein house, but it had been. The paint job still needed some work, but it was definitely drivable. After the evening she’d had, she wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that LaFontaine and Perry had a small legion of gnomes working through the night to fix her car and get it back above ground.

Laura double-timed it across the office, aware she was running a smidge late. She grabbed a cup of black coffee from the break room, dumping 12 sugars into it whilst swiping a cookie from the packet that sat open on the counter. She slipped in to the morning briefing quietly, just in time to hear Captain Manning say,

“With the explosion originating in the newly developed Karnstein Orthopaedic building of the hospital, it’s clear our perp is escalating.”

Laura took a sip from her coffee cup and chanced a glance at Danny who was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Yeah, her new wardrobe hadn’t gone unnoticed. Danny was looking at her like she had skinned an animal and sauntered in to work wearing its pelt.

“The FD have confirmed that the explosion was caused by a planted device,” the Captain continued, “no thumb drive has been recovered but forensics continue to comb the wreckage. We are working under the assumption that this is the same person who has been targeting Carmilla Karnsten.”

“ _If_ someone is targeting Karnstein.” Danny interjected, she just couldn’t shake what J.P had said to her the previous evening.

“Excuse me?” Captain Manning looked up from the pile of papers on the lectern in front of her. The attention of the room was now on squarely on Danny.

Laura had to swallow the ‘Oh shut up, Danny’ that was sitting on the tip of her tongue. She was pissed that she didn’t get to have a quiet word with Danny about this before she floated this half-baked notion to the rest of the PD.

“Why aren’t we looking at Karnstein as a suspect?” Danny asked. 

“She’s been cleared as a suspect already Lawrence,” Captain Manning said dismissively, “you know this.”

“But has she really?” Danny pushed.

Laura almost rolled her eyes. Danny was like a dog with a bone sometimes. The thing that made her a great cop somehow also made her a terrible cop. She would get so single-mindedly focussed on one thing she wouldn’t be able to dismiss it until she’d followed every possible outcome. Laura wanted nothing more than to be able to put her in her place and move on, but it was virtually impossible to do without outing Carmilla as Luna.

“I mean we know next to nothing about where she’s been or the people she was involved with.” Danny continued, “I would hate to think that the department would end up embarrassed because we let someone’s wealth exclude them from being thoroughly investigated as a suspect.”

Captain Manning let out a resigned sigh and nodded.

Danny perked up and smiled a little. The Captain had to concede that she had some sort of a point. Surely. It would be detrimental to the department should it turn out that Carmilla Karnstein was involved with the attacks and they hadn’t looked into her thoroughly.

“You stay away from her Lawrence. I got a call this morning from Karnstein complaining about you harassing her family late last night.”

Danny’s face fell in defeat. She knew what the Captain was going to say next,

“Hollis?”

Laura snapped her attention to the Captain, had she just said that Carmilla had called to complain this morning? Since she had left the estate, Carmilla had woken up? Carmilla was awake. Which meant, Carmilla would be able to tell her what happened.

“You speak to Karnstein.”

Laura nodded her understanding. 

“I had questions about the fire,” Danny interjected defensively.

“While it was still blazing?”

Danny opened her mouth to defend herself further, but the Captain cut her off,

“I don’t want to hear it Lawrence. You are to stay away from them for the time being.”

Danny tried to object once more, but Captain Manning shut her down by dismissing the briefing and sharing a hard glare with the detective.

As everyone filed out the room, Danny waited for her moment and grabbed Laura gently by the elbow,

“Nice suit.” Danny stated dryly as she looked Laura up and down. She instantly regretted being so petty when she saw the tired look of indifference settle in to Laura’s eyes. They needed to be on better terms than this if Danny was going to get a lead, even a crumb of one, out of her.

Laura decided the best course of action was to just not respond. She reached to pull the door wider and step round Danny. Laura sighed as Danny moved to block her exit. They were now completely alone in the briefing room.

“How’s your Dad?” Danny asked. She was desperate to see if Laura would lie to her face, anxious to catch her in the lie. Anxious to prove this wasn’t just jealousy making her act a little loopy and out of sorts.

“You know how it is,” Laura scratched the back of neck. She made deliberate and concentrated eye contact with Danny, “he has good days and bad days.” Laura could see the doubt all over Danny’s face and reached for the door again, “I better get to the Karnstein estate.” She tried to smile sincerely, “You know, follow up on your idea that Carmilla is maybe involved.”

Danny knew that Laura didn’t want to do anything of the sort and almost said as much, instead she nodded solemnly and let Laura leave. As she watched her ex walk towards the elevator, she couldn’t help herself and yelled, “Didn’t you just come from the Karnstein estate?” There was a pause in Laura’s step, but she didn’t turn back around.

#

After practically running away from Danny at the station, Laura found herself, once again, in front of the alley at Fitzgerald and Farver. The street was thankfully quiet of pedestrian and motor traffic, which would make this a lot easier. Laura surveyed the scene. Obvious handprint on the wall, dried splodges of blood leading up the alley, a dried pool of blood where Carmilla had finally collapsed annnd, the burner phone smashed and peaking out from underneath a dumpster. Laura tutted aloud at that one, that was just careless. Although, she supposed, Carmilla wouldn’t have had presence of mind to remove the sim card as she possibly bled to death. Laura finished taping off the alley with police tape and headed back to the trunk of her car.

She had visited a crime scene cleaner she had chatted to over the years. Gave them some bullshit story about her brother (who didn’t exist) breaking his nose in her apartment, how she just couldn’t seem to get the blood out of the carpet (she didn’t even have carpet in her apartment). Et Voila, her trunk was now full of everything she would need to scrub the alley clean of Carmilla’s DNA. Just in case.

The next two hours were a montage of spraying chemicals, scrubbing concrete and a whole lot of elbow grease. Laura was exhausted. When she was satisfied, she stepped out the paper suit covering Carmilla’s clothes, balled it up and shoved it in the biohazard bag along with all the other stuff soaked in Carmilla’s blood. Laura then tossed the bag in the trunk of her car. She figured LaFontaine or Perry would be best to dispose of that.

#

“Laura!” LaF greeted her with a gentle hug as Laura stepped inside the door of the Karnstein home, “Didn’t expect to see you again so soon kiddo.”

“I actually would have been here sooner, but I went and cleaned up the alley that I found Carmilla in last night.” Laura held up the biohazard bag.

“Oh, good thinking,” LaFontaine exclaimed, “with all the hullaballoo last night I never even thought.” They took the bag from Laura and set it by the bookcase in the entry hall, “I can get rid of that.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Laura said gratefully.

LaFontaine nodded towards the police badge hung round Laura’s neck, “Official business?”

“Afraid so.” Laura confirmed.

“Is it about the mess at the hospital?”

Laura noted that LaF looked older today than she had really noticed before, tired, “Sort of. I’m here to follow up on the questions Danny had last night.”

LaFontaine raised an eyebrow, “Convenient that it’s you.” They gestured for Laura to follow them up the grand staircase that led to the upper wings of the house, “First thing our girl did when she woke up and heard about Danny sniffing around was call your Captain. Nothing like a rich person complaining.”

“Awake for two seconds and already back to being a pain in my ass.” Laura joked as they wandered down a long corridor. LaF had said, ‘our girl’, but they had meant theirs and Perry’s, right? Laura wasn’t being included in that ‘our’.

Laura remembered this wing of the Karnstein mansion from when she was young. It hadn’t changed much. The deep red carpet, the dark wood with simple fixtures.

“Let me just check Carmilla is o.k. to receive visitors.” LaF disappeared behind the two double doors at the end of the hall.

If Laura remembered rightly, that was the master bedroom, Carmilla’s parents’ room. Carmilla’s room had been the second door they had passed on the left. It looked like a tornado had ripped through it. Clothes and unpacked boxes everywhere.

Laura shifted from foot to foot outside the double doors and waited for LaFontaine to return. Her palms were sweaty and her stomach was fluttery. She wasn’t nervous, right? Definitely not. Hungry. That was more like it. Laura hadn’t really eaten anything substantial all day. She made a mental note to ask Perry if she had any of those tasty brownies she was famous for ready and lying around the kitchen. Laura could not possibly be nervous to see Carmilla. It wasn’t any different than seeing her for the last month. It wasn’t as if she’d almost lost her again or anything.

“Come in,” LaF popped their head out the door, before swinging it open and ushering Laura inside, “don’t pay her any attention if she’s snippy, the pain meds are making her grumpy.”

Laura walked in and saw Carmilla bundled up in her parent’s four-poster bed. She looked impossibly small and pale.

“I don’t know why they put me in here.” Carmilla grumbled, a pointed stare directed at LaFontaine.

“If you’d unpacked like you said you would, you could be in your own room.” LaF replied as they ducked out the room and shut the door behind them.

“Nice suit,” Carmilla drawled as she tried to push herself into a more seated position, “I should get you the name of my tailor.” She grunted in pain, giving up and settling where she was instead.

“I think this suit cost more than I make in a year.” Laura smiled, relieved to see Carmilla animated and less…impaled.

Carmilla nodded at the seat beside her bed, an invite for Laura to sit.

“LaF says you’re grumpy.” Laura said, accepting Carmilla’s invitation and settling at her bedside for the second time in 24 hours. Laura was afraid if she said anything else it may be something she couldn’t take back later. Something stupid like, ‘I’m so glad you’re alive because I couldn’t face losing you twice’.

“I’m grumpy,” Carmilla started, a slight whine to her voice, “because I woke up in _here_ and I was so high on painkillers I had no idea what was going on and they won’t let me get up or do anything,” She wasn’t sure if she should say the next thing that popped into her head but she was too tired to overthink it, “Plus. I didn’t want you to see me like this.” Carmilla admitted that last part quietly.

“You looked a hell of a lot worse the last time I saw you.” Laura joked. Joking was better than admitting her concern aloud. She had to keep her feelings safe for the time being. It was the smart thing to do, right? Right.

“This is true,” Carmilla laughed and instantly regretted doing so, clutching her side and wincing.

Laura’s fingers twitched. She wanted to reach forward so badly and comfort Carmilla in any way she could, “Should I go get Perry?” she asked instead.

“No, no, I’m fine.” Carmilla replied getting herself settled again, “Just don’t make me laugh.”

“Ok,” Laura said putting on the most sombre face she could muster, “Super serious official business from here in only.”

“That face isn’t helping.” Carmilla smiled.

“Sorry, it’s the one I was born with.”

Carmilla opened her mouth and closed it again. She was going to say ‘and what a pretty face it is’, but she wasn’t sure she could say it with enough sarcasm that it wouldn’t be interpreted as flirting and that wasn’t a thing they were doing, was it?

“So…” Laura trailed off. This was just getting awkward.

“So, you want my official statement about my whereabouts last night, detective?” Carmilla asked.

“I do.” Laura replied, smiling shyly, she pulled out a small notebook and pen from the inside pocket of her jacket, “You’re lucky Danny was a bit…ba-ad person in the morning briefing and the Captain sent me here instead of her.”

“Mmm, very lucky,” Carmilla mused, “I was on a date.” she said emphatically.

Laura’s eyebrows rose and she looked up from her notebook sceptically.

“The date will corroborate.” Carmilla insisted.

“Seriously?” Laura scoffed.

“What? You know I was in an alley bleeding my guts out.” Carmilla protested.

“Exactly,” Laura said, her pen paused on paper “you’re just going to lie right to my face?”

“Isn’t that the point,” Carmilla shrugged. Very carefully to avoid agitating her stitches. She smirked at Laura and recited, “I was on a date, my date can corroborate, I got home around one a.m.—”

“Conveniently missing Danny’s visit.” Laura interrupted.

“Sadly yes, I did miss Detective Lawrence’s’ visit,” Carmilla continued, “and no, I don’t have any idea why someone would plant a bomb in the shell of the Karnstein building at the City Hospital.”

Laura stopped scribbling and looked up to see a shit eating grin spread across Carmilla’s face, she shook her head trying to contain the laugh that was threatening to bubble up from her diaphragm, “Anything else you would like to add Ms. Karnstein?” she asked with only the faintest hint of professionalism.

“If you put that tiny notebook away I’ve got a far more interesting version of my activities last night.”

“I can’t wait to hear that, but the Captain has taken Danny’s new idea of you being involved seriously. So…” Laura trailed off, unsure of how to handle the situation.

“What do they want to know?” Carmilla asked.

“Where you were, the kind of people you met, if you made any new friends who may have brainwashed you and convinced you terrorising your own company and employees whilst pretending you aren’t is a fun time?” Laura shrugged, she knew that Carmilla was not involved with the attacks plaguing the city but she also needed to at least pretend to be following the line of enquiry for appearances sake.

Carmilla shifted uncomfortably and sighed, “If I promise to be honest with you, and soon, can you hold them off for a little while? I know that no one I spent any time with in the last 8 years is responsible for this chaos.”

Laura couldn’t say no to Carmilla’s pleading eyes and the offer of a promise. Carmilla Karnstein never made a promise she didn’t keep.

Laura nodded her answer and moved on, “So what the name of Agent Carter actually happened last night?”

Carmilla recounted best what she could remember. Captain Manning had called with the lead about the hospital and Carmilla had suited up and gone to investigate.

“It was a trap.” Laura muttered.

“It was one hundred percent a trap, Cupcake,” Carmilla agreed, “I knew it could be going in, but it wasn’t a good enough reason not to go.”

“And you didn’t call me and tell me what you were doing because?” Laura asked irritated. If Carmilla had suspected a trap, she should have called her in as backup.

“Because I don’t need you to hold my hand.” Carmilla retorted with an indignant snort.

“Well maybe I want to hold your hand.” Laura bit back before she could think about what she was saying. Thankfully, Carmilla didn’t seem to take what she said any other way than in annoyance.

Carmilla rolled her eyes and continued her story. When she arrived at the building site that was to be the Karnstein Orthopaedic building, nothing seemed suspect. The place was empty, shut down for evening, no construction crew, not even a security guard wandering around. Carmilla poked around quietly. It was all dustsheets and construction equipment until she reached the third floor. There she found what looked like an occupied office. A computer set up on a desk, no dustsheets covering anything, some chip packets and soda cans littering the desk and floor.

“I should have known better.” Carmilla sighed, “I just figured I’d found an abandoned nest.”

“The computer was the bomb.” Laura groaned.

Carmilla nodded, a slight blush of embarrassment peppering her cheeks, “I was just so excited to finally find something that looked like solid evidence. I didn’t think before I acted. I was stupid to think whoever is doing this would be careless enough to leave behind such a big clue.”

The itch in Laura’s fingers had spread to her palms. If she just reached over a little, she _could_ be holding Carmilla’s hand. Like she had been the night before.

“I unclipped the case,” Carmilla continued, “thinking if I brought the hard drive back to LaF they could do whatever it is they do to extract the secrets from those things.”

“Lifting the case tripped the bomb?”

“Yep,” Carmilla hung her head in shame, “It was on such a short timer. I, I had no time. The bomb tripped, I heard the SCPD enter the building three floors down…” Carmilla’s voice trembled, “there was no time to defuse the bomb, no time to warn them, there was just time to run.”

Laura stopped overthinking and took Carmilla’s hand, “Carm, no one was seriously hurt, and everyone got out alive. If not annoyed their crime scene exploded.”

“Oh, thank the goddess,” Carmilla let out a sigh of relief and gave Laura’s hand a grateful squeeze.

Now they definitely _were_ holding hands.

It was easy for Laura to forget that Carmilla wasn’t some omnipotent superhero from a comic book. She was woman. A, mortal, woman who was figuring this out as she went, “How did you end up in that alley a block away?” Laura asked gently.

“I honestly have no frilly idea.” Carmilla replied, she frowned trying to conjure up the memories, “I came to staggering and shell-shocked.”

“Well,” Laura shrugged, “the good news is I haven’t heard of any sightings of Luna staggering around the streets last night with her guts hanging out.”

Carmilla nodded thankfully and held up the free hand that wasn’t holding Laura’s, “This is road rash isn’t it?” She nodded at the raw and scraped skin on the palm of her hand, “Did someone pick me up and I jumped from their car?”

Before Laura could answer, a knock on the door startled them both, forcing them to drop each other’s hands like guilty teenagers,

“Sorry to interrupt,” Perry apologised as she entered the room carrying a tray laden with medical supplies, “time to clean your wound and change your dressings.”

“That’s my cue,” Laura said pulling a mock disgusted face and standing, “so there was no thumb drive? No message this time?” Laura asked as she headed towards the door. She gave Perry a gentle squeeze on the elbow to say hello.

“No thumb drive. But the case had a piece of paper taped to the inside that said ‘Project Frey’.”

Perry dropped the tray before she could set it down at Carmilla’s bedside. Flustered she dropped to her knees and muttered something about being tired making her clumsy.

Carmilla and Laura shared a perplexed look at Perry’s behaviour,

“Project Fray? F-r-a-y?” Laura asked.

“No, it was with an ‘e’.” Carmilla replied. She looked curiously at Perry who was setting everything back upon the tray with shakey hands, looking rather flushed.

“Ok, I’ll check it out,” Laura paused with her hand on the door handle, “I can drop by later if I find anything?”

“That would be cool.” Carmilla was loathe letting Laura leave in the first place if she was being honest, it was soothing having her close by.

“Cool.” Laura nodded. As she closed the door behind her, she could hear Carmilla cursing Perry as she ripped off the first bandage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Useless lesbians, eh? Is Perry hiding something? Will Danny ever stop being a douche? Meet me back here in a few days and you’ll find out…  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mea culpa, this chapter starts with Danny again and I can only apologise for that happening twice in a row. As much as we can agree she's a douche canoe, I really do need her to progress the plot!
> 
> So Project Frey? Read on to find out what that is. This chapter is a bit of a minor bummer. Aint no one having a nice time in this chapter!

Danny paused the surveillance footage and rubbed her eyes, this was tedious as hell. With the hospital crime scene still declared unsafe to enter, Danny had no choice but to comb through the only evidence she had. Hours upon hours of hospital security footage. Footage that was largely just work men coming and going from the building site. Work men carrying stuff, moving stuff, building stuff, nothing yet to suggest who or why a bomb was planted in an unoccupied building of the hospital. The only link was Karnstein.

An extra pair of eyes on the footage she still had to view would certainly have made this go quicker, but Laura was off the radar again. She’d been AWOL since the Captain dispatched her to speak to Karnstein this morning and part of Danny was glad. The part of Danny that couldn’t deal with her when she was lying, but that was Danny the ex-girlfriend, Danny the cop needed her partner.

Danny let out a quiet whine when she picked up the coffee cup on her desk and realised it was empty. When her stomach let out a loud growl she decided enough was enough, it was time to take a break. Shrugging on her coat, Danny scooped up her keys and headed to her car.

As she pushed open the door that led to the parking garage, Danny felt it smack into something or rather someone judging by the muffled complaint she heard,

“Oh shit, I’m sorry.” Danny apologised when she saw she had opened the door on J.P and made him drop his belongings.

“That’s ok Detective Lawrence,” J.P offered as they both crouched down to pick up his stuff.

Danny noted there was what looked like dry blood along the toe of his right sneaker.

“Cut myself shaving this morning.” J.P said when he saw Danny staring at his shoe, “must’ve dripped onto my shoe.”

“Not having the best day then?” Danny asked as she stood and handed J.P his travel mug.

J.P laughed a little self-deprecatingly and shrugged.

Danny noted that the growth on his face suggested he hadn’t shaved at all that day.

“Well I better get clocked in.”

“Yeah, of course,” Danny stepped around J.P and gave him a small wave.

Danny got in her car and started the engine. What a weird little dude J.P was. She shrugged, right now, there were other things to worry about. Like food. Eating was definitely her top priority right now.

#

When Laura got back to the station late in the afternoon, Danny was thankfully not at her desk. The more she could research with minimal interference or prying looks from Danny, the better. Laura turned on her computer and threw her open notebook down next to her keyboard. As she stretched and made herself comfortable, Laura couldn’t help but think that the two words on the page were mocking her slightly,

“Ok,” she said quietly aloud to herself, “Project Frey, what in the name of Captain Marvel are you exactly?”

Laura cracked her knuckles and took a deep breath. Time to start at the beginning. She keyed ‘Project Frey’ in to the various databases at her disposal and pressed return. She sighed at the remaining time on the searches. With the instant age they lived in, it was sometimes hard to remember that things can still take time. Yet time was the thing they had very little of. Laura knew the perp was escalating. If they didn’t find them soon, someone was going to end up hurt. She was terrified that someone was going to be Carmilla.

Laura fidgeted in her seat and pulled up an internet search engine. Wouldn’t do any harm to see if there was any chatter online as well as in any of the police databases. Again, she keyed ‘Project Frey’ into a search box and pressed return. She audibly groaned at the search results. The first page was all links to Norse mythology websites. Turned out Frey, or Freyr, was a Norse god of fertility. Huh, she thought, the more you know. It also turned out there were hundreds upon thousands of websites about him and his twin sister Freyja. If there was any information or links to Project Frey, Laura didn’t have the patience right now to sift through all the information present to find it. She needed something or someone to make this easier.

Pushing her chair away from her desk, Laura decided to head down to the basement and confer with the tech nerds. As she stood waiting for the elevator to arrive, her thoughts turned to Carmilla. For a change. Laura really, really wanted to text her. But she’d barely left her an hour or so ago. So, she shouldn’t text her. They were working together. That was it. Laura didn’t have any need to check in with Carmilla every five minutes. However, that didn’t mean she didn’t want to. Laura stepped in the elevator and jabbed the button for the basement. You didn’t text your very platonic colleagues throughout the day to just check in did you? The elevator came to a standstill with a shudder, shaking Laura from her thoughts. She exited and walked down the corridor until she reached The Falcon, which was what the tech nerds called their office. Laura thought that was cute.

Laura slipped in quietly, mindful not to barge into the office barking like many of her fellow detectives would, “Hi,” she said as she approached J.P’s desk smiling.

“Detective Hollis,” J.P returned her smile as he looked up from his screen, “what brings you to the deepest, darkest depths of the building?”

“Do you have,” Laura started, trying to articulate what exactly she needed, “some sort of algorithm thingy-majig that can search quickly through vast amounts of the internet for something specific?”

“Like…a search engine?” J.P asked, wondering if Detective Hollis was yanking his chain.

“Yes!” Laura said stabbing a finger in the air, “but, like, better. I have search results, I just don’t have time to comb through them. I need to find out what I can and quickly.”

“Ok,ok,yeah,” J.P nodded enthusiastically, finally understanding what it was Laura needed better.

“I’m looking for information on something that may or may not exist.” Laura perched on J.P’s desk and fidgeted with a cup full of pens that sat on it.

“Sounds interesting. What have you got for me to start on?” J.P looked expectantly at Laura.

“Two words and a bunch of links are literally all I have, Project Frey.” Laura was surprised to see J.P’s eyes light up excitedly as she finished her sentence.

“It’s a conspiracy.” J.P exclaimed.

“Excuse me?”

“On the tinfoil hat websites, it’s a known conspiracy,” J.P began typing with one hand and motioned for Laura to come around to his side of the desk with the other.

Laura’s eyes quickly scanned the screen, words that jumped out to her were ‘dark net’, ‘military’, ‘experiment’ and ‘buried’.

“If you give me an hour or so to message some folks, I can probably get you more info.” J.P offered.

Laura clapped a grateful hand on J.P’s shoulder and thanked him. Any lead was a lead after all.

As Danny entered the bullpen with a full stomach and a renewed concentration, she saw Laura sat at her desk as if she had in fact been there all afternoon and not god knows where. Danny could see that Laura had her deep into something face on. She was scribbling notes and flipping through a huge document that sat on her desk. Laura’s hair was tied back loosely, she was chewing on the end of a pencil and her neck was craned in such a way that Danny knew Laura would go home complaining that her back was in agony. Danny’s heart ached, she wanted to tell her to sit up straight because there was no one at home to work that kink in her back out. Instead she settled on asking,

“How was your day detective?”

Startled, Laura knocked a bunch of paper off the end of her desk and cursed, “You really need to stop sneaking up on me.”

For the second time in so many hours, Danny apologised and bent to help retrieve something she’d caused someone to drop. Before she could pick up a page though, Laura had lent over and snatched the papers up. As Laura tried to put the papers out of Danny’s view, a name jumped out at Danny, ‘Project Frey’.

“My day was fucking exhausting.” Laura replied to Danny’s initial question as she reshuffled the papers and placed them into a folder, “Yours?” Laura asked looking up.

Danny dropped into her chair and regarded Laura carefully, this was the most attentive Danny had seen her in a long time. Laura was sober, alert and extremely deep into whatever she had discovered. Danny hadn’t seen Laura this into her work in months, “Oh you know, endless hours of security footage and two tired eyeballs.”

“Sorry I wasn’t here.” Laura offered feeling genuinely guilty that she wasn’t exactly keeping her end up at the moment. She was working the case, just not from the same angle.

Danny shrugged, “Karnstein’s alibi check out?”

“Yeah,” Laura replied as she placed the folder into her messenger bag, “She was 100% on a date. Corroborated and everything. She was nowhere near that hospital last night.”

Danny yet again could see right through the lie as she had been seeing through Laura all day. All year. All her life. If Carmilla had been at the hospital, why was Laura covering for her?

“Heading out already?” Danny asked as she watched Laura shrug on her coat.

“Quittin’ time.” Laura said as she let her hair down and shook it out.

Danny glanced at the clock on her computer. It was indeed a couple of minutes to the end of their shift, “Hot date?” Danny attempted to joke as she watched Laura put on some lip-gloss, honest to god lip-gloss, Laura hadn’t so much as combed her hair recently never mind put lip-gloss on.

“Something like that,” Laura said distractedly as she slung her messenger bag over her shoulder, “Night.”

“G’night.” Danny replied, dejected. She waited until Laura had disappeared out of sight before slumping further into her chair. Danny closed her eyes and tried to keep a lid on the intrusive thoughts threatening to flood her mind. It used to be her that Laura shook her hair down for, put on lip gloss on for. It used to be her.

Danny tried to push thoughts of what Laura was up to out of her mind and go back to the security footage, but she couldn’t escape the thought that Laura was working the case. Just not through the proper, official channels. Karnstein meant too much to Laura for her not to be looking into this from another angle. To be working with her somehow. There was more going on than she could see right now. She had to trust that if she worked the case by the book, she would figure this out. Danny minimised the security footage and opened up a search engine. She typed ‘Project Frey’ into the search box and pressed return.

#

"So, what in the frilly hell is it that you _are_ saying?" Carmilla asked. The fog of painkillers wasn't helping any of what LaFontaine and Perry were saying make any sense.

"That we still don't know the full story and we didn't want to bring any of this to you until we knew more." LaF paced next to the large four-poster bed that Carmilla still occupied.

LaF was visibly anxious, worrying a bit of loose skin on their thumb with their index finger. Carmilla knew that to be LaFontaine's tell. The first time she saw it she was 10 years old and her parents were dead. Ever since then, if LaF worried at the skin on their thumb it meant that they had some horrible thing to tell her.

"I didn't want to bring any of this to you at all." Perry started from her perch on the windowsill, "This was never meant to-"

The doorbell rang, interrupting her.

"I'll get that," Perry said as she drifted from the windowsill and out the room. Frankly, she was relieved to be out from under Carmilla’s glare. That girl was going to pick her apart one day. Perry returned a few moments later with Laura in tow.

"I'm guessing from that bundle of paper stuffed under your arm you were able to find something?" Carmilla asked taciturnly.

"I know...some things." Laura said, she crossed the room and sat the file at the end of the bed. She kept a hand on the file as she looked at Carmilla. Carmilla looked anguished, Laura wanted to wrap her arms around her and tell her everything was going to be ok. Even if it wasn’t.

Laura coughed and cleared her throat. The atmosphere in the master bedroom was uncomfortable to say the least, “I know that LaFontaine and Perry weren’t the only members of your family previously in the military. Your parents were too.”

“Well you know more than I did a half hour ago.” Carmilla huffed.

“Carmilla, please.” LaFontaine pleaded. They had started trying to explain this somewhat a little before Laura had arrived. If Project Frey was on Carmilla’s radar, LaFontaine and Perry wanted her to hear about it from them first.

Carmilla silenced LaFontaine with only a stern look as she motioned for Laura to continue.

Laura slipped into what she thought of as her detective headspace. It allowed her to objectively view a situation and distil the facts, it allowed her to remain emotionally detached. If she didn’t, she was going to break, the look of confusion and hurt strewn across Carmilla’s face was killing her,

"A lot of the information was redacted, in fact almost all of it was. From what I could piece together, Project Frey was some sort of super soldier genetics program."

Carmilla scoffed, "Are you kidding me? Like honest to goodness from a comic book, tinkering with DNA, creating the ultimate soldier program?"

"Says the kid running around in a hood snatching up criminals." LaFontaine stated flatly. 

"A hood you put her in.” Carmilla snapped, “Suddenly your eagerness to kit me out seems like a continuation of whatever sick experiment my entire life has been.”

“Now, wait a minute young Lady,” Perry stepped in to defend LaFontaine, “We didn’t want any of this, I warned you.”

The room fell silent.

"Your parents..." Laura faltered when she couldn’t take it any longer.

“They weren’t in the army technically,” Perry sighed as she saw Laura fumble to find the right words, “they were geneticists the army hired.”

“And technically what were they hired to do?” Carmilla asked quietly.

Perry shook her head in defeat, “I don’t know.”

Carmilla scoffed and Laura saw her lip tremble just a little.

“It’s true Carmilla,” LaFontaine was pleading for anyone in the room to believe them now, “that’s how the military works. You don’t ask questions about the work your friends are involved in. It’s kinda how you become friends, you talk about everything but.”

Laura picked up the folder and began to flick through the file looking for the information she was looking for, "As I said, Project Frey seems to have been some sort of experiment to create the ultimate soldier. There were only two viable candidates,” Laura cleared her throat, referring to them as candidates as the military files had seemed so cold, “babies, there were two babies, from the experiment.” She corrected herself and continued, “Something happened. Something horrible. That's all I could figure out. Military files are just a nightmare of blacked out print. Whatever it was, it shut the program down, and your parents received a huge payoff. Likely to buy their silence. That's—"

"Where all this came from." Carmilla interrupted, she looked round the room and smiled sadly, "that's where I came from."

Carmilla chanced a glance at Laura. The look in Laura’s eye confirmed they were thinking the same thing. Carmilla was born in a lab. Carmilla was one of the babies.

"It wasn't something you needed to know," Perry said gently, "Your parents were good people, generous people and that's what they wanted you to remember if anything ever happened to them."

LaFontaine agreed, "They never wanted you to know that part of their lives kiddo. They weren't proud of whatever happened."

"What the fuck did happen?" Carmilla exploded. She clutched her side in pain after pulling her stitches, "How could I have been born in a lab? There are pictures of my mother pregnant! I have a birth certificate!"

Perry rushed to Carmilla’s side to check the wound. At first, Carmilla refused to let Perry look at her stitches but eventually acquiesced,

“Please don’t get so worked up, you’ll set your healing back.” Perry muttered concerned.

"They never talked about it, the money _was_ to buy their silence and we never pushed them to tell us other than what we needed to know." LaFontaine said, their voice shaking.

"Don't ask, don't tell?" Carmilla sneered.

LaF sank into the chair at Carmilla's bedside, "All I know is that my best friend asked me to help him hide two vulnerable children and I did." 

LaFontaine looked across the bed at their wife and sighed. Was this the part where they confessed all? Was this the part where they tell Carmilla that she lived the first 9 months of her life in the bunker whilst her parents orchestrated a fake pregnancy? That she was in fact 9 months older than her faked birth certificate suggested. Was this the part where they confessed to leaving the other baby on the other side of the world?

"What happened to the other baby?" Carmilla's voice was quiet, tired.

Laura closed the folder and looked to Perry and LaFontaine. Laura shook her head. She didn’t know, there were no records of either child that she could find so far. If they knew something, now was the time to speak up.

"They couldn't keep the other baby." Perry replied, tears falling from her eyes, "It would have been too suspicious to have two incredibly...bright, gifted children."

"They didn't know how your...abilities would...develop. If they'd kept you both, the military would have known." LaFontaine stuttered.

“Abilities?” Laura and Carmilla asked at the same time.

Perry nodded, “You’ve never wondered why you’re that little bit smarter, that little bit faster, that little bit— “

“Too much.” Carmilla interrupted.

“No, Carmilla, please,” LaFontaine said sitting forward, “you’ve always been just enough.”

"So that's what they did." Carmilla said flatly, trying to ignore LaFontaine. She kept her eyes on Laura, she let Laura’s eyes anchor her, comfort her, “That’s what my parents did. That’s what the person targeting Karnstein Enterprises wants me to tell the world?”

Laura nodded.

“And that’s who’s doing this.” Carmilla closed her eyes and tried to stop her stomach churning, “My sibling is doing this.”

Laura nodded again, “I would say so. I’ve got a search running for children who were adopted around the time you were born. But it might return zero hits or it could return hundreds.”

Carmilla nodded in understanding before opening her eyes and speaking, “Can you give me and Laura some time alone?” She still didn’t look at LaFontaine or Perry when she spoke.

LaF got to their feet and wordlessly crossed to the other side of the bed where they held out their hand, “Come on Perr’,” they said, “let’s give her some space.”

Perry hesitated before taking her spouse’s hand and standing from the bed. She put her head down as they passed Laura and did her best to keep it together until they exited the room.

“You look nice tonight, Cupcake” Carmilla offered, something to fill the awkward silence that had come when the bedroom door had clicked shut.

“Thanks,” Laura blushed, “Carm, are you-?”

“Help me up,” Carmilla interrupted as she threw the bedcovers back. She didn’t need nor want Laura’s pity right now.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Laura said as she rushed round the side of the bed and placed her hands on Carmilla’s shoulders, holding her in place, “slow your roll lady killer, what are we doing?”

Carmilla looked up at Laura as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “My father was a sentimental…” she trailed off unsure of what adjective to use in accordance with her feelings right now, “he was sentimental, there will be something in this room, hidden.”

Laura looked at her sceptically, but didn’t have the heart to argue, “Stay,” she commanded, pulling the covers back over Carmilla and gently pushed her back into the bed, “tell me what we’re looking for and I’ll look.”

Carmilla huffed her displeasure but didn’t argue, just trying to get up had made her dizzy, “The panelling on the wall, I’ll bet you anything some part of it is hollow.”

Laura spent the next twenty minutes slowly tapping each section of wood panelling on the wall whilst Carmilla sat in the bed, her eyes closed and listening. Sometimes she'd ask Laura to go over a section again, other times she'd unequivocally tell her to move on. Eventually she said,

“That one, that one you just tapped. Tap it again.”

Laura gave it another wrap with her knuckles and waited for further instruction,

“That’s it. I fucking knew it,” Carmilla said shaking her head, “can you push it or pull it in some way?”

“Let’s try.” Laura said giving the panel a push. There was a satisfying click and then the panel popped forward on a spring, “Huh, well what would you know?” Laura said as she retrieved a small box and brought it back to an eager Carmilla on the bed.

Carmilla looked at Laura expectedly, “Are you sitting down or what Cutie?”

Laura sat down on the space Carmilla made for her on the bed and watched as she flipped the lid off the box. On the top was a photograph of Carmilla's parents, much younger than Laura ever remembered them, a baby in each of their arms, "Can I see that a moment?" Laura asked, gingerly taking the photo as Carmilla handed it over.

"What is it?" Carmilla asked, confused.

"You got a magnifying glass?" Laura asked squinting at the photo.

"Sure, I keep one on me at all times."

"Ok, ok, there's no need for the dripping sarcasm," Laura huffed a small laugh as she got up and rifled through her bag for her magnifying glass.

"Wait, that's a thing you actually carry in your bag?" Carmilla was genuinely surprised, "I thought that was like a detective cliché."

"It is I guess," Laura said coming back to the bed and sitting again, "but you never know when it might come in useful. Like now." Laura placed the magnifying glass over the photo and showed it to Carmilla, "See, there's something on the babies' wrists."

Carmilla took the photo and the magnifying glass from Laura and studied the area Laura had highlighted. Laura was right. Carmilla could see hospital style bands on the wrists of the children. They had a clear C020 and W021 printed on them.

Carmilla flipped the photo over, "Or we could have just flipped this thing over," written on the back was ‘Carmilla and William’, "I told you he was sentimental, they named the other kid even though they didn't keep him." Carmilla said coldly.

“So, it was a boy." Laura stated.

"I've got a brother." Carmilla was a little dumbfounded, her voice softening.

Laura reached over and placed her hand on Carmilla’s knee, "Let's find him before someone really gets hurt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooft. That’s a heavy-duty chapter, eh? So, Carmilla was meant to be a super soldier. Dang. Sure explains why she took to superhero-esque crimefighting so well. Stay tuned for the next chapter, where Laura actually DOES visit her Dad, Carmilla has a heart to heart with Perry. And Danny? Danny somehow ends up on the worst first date of all time.
> 
> Thank you again for all of you who have stuck with this self indulgent story of mine. I have appreciated your comments muchly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of time has passed since we last joined the gang. Laura takes a drive to see her dad, Danny takes a day off and Carmilla has a dream.
> 
> TW: Discussions of mental illness. Imbibement of alcohol. Lil bit of mildly comedic violence.

Laura drove the road to the Solitude Heights Psychiatric Hospital in silence. Her head was too busy for music, for the chatter of the radio. She hated driving this road. She hated that she didn't drive this road as much as she should. She hated that she’d missed morning visiting hours because it had taken her this long to psych herself up to actually make the drive.

The search for Carmilla's brother had been useless to say the least. There was no trace of him in any of the systems available to Laura. This didn't seem to surprise Carmilla however, how was it she put it? 'If he's half as smart as me Cupcake, he won't let himself be found that easily.' Still, this annoyed the hell out of Laura. All she needed was one tiny lead to follow. A thread she could pick at until the whole thing unravelled. Instead, they kept finding dead ends.

Whoever Carmilla’s brother was, he was toying with them now. Since the blast at the hospital, there had been no further incidents. Laura and Danny were starting to work new cases. LaFontaine and Perry had planted the idea that Carmilla Karnstein, party girl, was up to her old playgirl ways and had departed the city with little notice for a jaunt round Europe. This gave Carmilla the time she needed to go to ground and heal, it negated her responsibility with the board at Karnstein Enterprises. Life continued. Styria City was beginning to forget this whole thing had happened. Laura couldn't forget. Laura knew that Carmilla wouldn't forget. Neither of them could shake the feeling that Carmilla’s brother was just building to something big. Something really dangerous. That was what had brought Laura to the psychiatric hospital. That and a powerful amount of guilt.

Laura parked her car and made sure that her sidearm was secure in the glove box. She picked up the pile of magazines and the new season Styria City Riot hockey sweater that sat on her passenger seat before making her way through the car park to the entrance of the hospital.

The thought of sneaking past the front desk and trying to get to her Dad’s room without having to talk to any staff appealed to Laura, but she knew it was impossible. She would have to sign in.

“Hey Gus,” Laura said as she came to a stop at the front desk and greeted the receptionist, “am I early?”

“No honey, you’re right on time.” Gus pointed to the large clock on the wall behind him, which read 5 pm, and nudged the sign in book towards Laura.

Laura looked at the date at the top of the page and hoped the shame she felt wasn’t blatant on her face for all to see. By her quick calculation, the last time she was here was her Dad’s birthday. Five months ago.

“How has he been?” Laura asked hesitantly.

“Still my favourite guy,” Gus replied, smiling kindly, “so long as he’s got hockey to watch, he’s happy.”

“Is he saying much?” Laura shifted her weight from foot to foot and tried to calm her jitters. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. It wasn’t like her Dad had much concept of time these days, he wouldn’t be offended she hadn’t been to visit recently. However, that didn’t change the fact that Laura knew.

“Not much change I’m afraid.” Gus shook his head sympathetically.

“Thanks Gus, I’m gonna head through.”

“Sure,” Gus leant down and pressed the door release, which sounded with a loud buzz.

Laura gave him a friendly wave and headed through the security door, into the main facility. The smell hit Laura first. Even psychiatric hospitals had that patented hospital smell. Guaranteed to turn your stomach and remind you of every awful time you have ever had to visit a hospital in your life.

As Laura walked down the familiar hall to her Dad’s room, she suddenly realised why she was so nervous. This was a stupid idea. A stupid, selfish idea. If she couldn’t come see him just to say hi, she shouldn’t be here now expecting him to help her with the case. Laura sighed and stopped dead in the corridor. She could just turn around and leave, it would be fine. Laura screwed her eyes shut and tried to decide.

It hadn’t happened all at once, her dad’s breakdown. It had been gradual and Laura wished she’d paid more attention, seen the signs, understood that he was struggling. Her Dad hadn’t said so much as a full sentence since. Selective mutism was what the doctor had called it. The way they described it to her was that there was nothing wrong with her dad physically, no damage to his brain, vocal chords or tongue. He was just unable to speak. Rendered mute by years of brutal cases and the guilt over Carmilla’s parents. Laura often wondered if he felt like he was trapped inside his own head, screaming, but unable to vocalise anything.

It _was_ selfish of her to come and visit him with the sole purpose of trying to siphon some sort of information out of him but she could still stop by and just say hi. Laura looked at the hockey sweater in her hand and could feel further bad feeling settle in her stomach. Was it a bribe? Was it to appease her guilt?

Laura paused at the door to her Dad’s room. Well she had walked the length of the corridor now. She didn’t have to talk to him about Carmilla’s brother, they could just have a nice visit. Laura knocked before quietly entering the room. Her Dad was sitting in the easy chair by the window, his eyes glued firmly to the TV in front of him, an old hockey game replaying. He didn’t look away from the TV when she entered, he barely registered her presence when Laura pulled another chair over and sat down beside him and said hello.

Laura watched the game for a little while. She knew this one. She had seen it often enough. The Styria City Riot would come back from 3-0 down to win the game with 45 seconds left on the clock. The crowd would erupt. The players on the bench would go tumbling over the boards to congratulate one another. Her dad wouldn’t react at all.

Eventually the silence got to her. The initial reason for her visit kept ricocheting round her mind. Laura leant forward and took a deep breath,

“Daddy,” she started, “I need your help.”

Before he was the district attorney, Laura's father had specialised in family law. If anyone knew anything about adoptions, it was Sherman Hollis.

#

Danny sat on a stool at the end of a bar. Alone. She was gunning for the Wurlitzer prize, pumping quarter after quarter into the jukebox, playing the real sad songs and drinking whiskey with a beer chaser. Maybe it was beer with a whiskey chaser. Either way, there was both beer and whiskey. The investigation was still at a dead end and so was her social life.

Danny liked this spot at the end of the bar because she could see everyone who entered and everyone who left. Even off duty, Danny couldn’t help but be a cop. She assessed each patron. She looked for concealed weapons. She tried to figure out who would give her lip and who would be compliant.

“You want another?”

Danny looked up from the mostly empty glass she had been staring into and nodded, “Thanks, Kirsch.”

Kirsch smiled sympathetically, “No worries, you deserve it.”

“Oh god, how much of that did you witness?” Danny put her head in her hands. She peeked out from behind her fingers when she heard the familiar sound of Kirsch’s laugh and the clinking of ice going into a glass tumbler.

Kirsch had been serving drinks at A Bar Named Sue for as long as Danny could remember drinking there. If Danny had to guess, she would say they were around the same age. Kirsch was a big lunk of a dude, handsome (if you liked that kind of thing, did Danny like that kind of thing?), a little dim and sort of like a Labrador retriever in human form. He had nicknames for all the regulars at the bar, some of them more welcome than others, he liked to call Danny ‘D-Bear’. She let him. Begrudgingly.

“I saw enough D-Bear,” Kirsch smiled again as he slid the fresh drink towards Danny’s eager hands.

As Danny watched Kirsch move across the bar to deal with other patrons, she tried to sort out in her mind just why her day off had ended up so disastrous. It had started with some, now she was starting to think misguided, decision that she needed to move on. It was time to start making a concentrated effort. Danny had downloaded some bullshit, dating app and started trying to make connections with women who weren’t her ex-girlfriend.

After sending a few messages back and forth with a cute brunette, Danny decided to be bold and just ask this woman out on a date. She didn’t have time for messing around, the spare time of a detective was little and not very often. Danny hated that this was the way dating worked these days. She would like to say dating was a lot easier back when she did it, but that was high school. Danny had been dating her best friend who she’d known forever anyway. It had never occurred to Danny she had never had to try to pick any one up as an actual adult. If she was being honest, Danny didn't get how dating worked at all. So, she did the thing and asked the cute girl out. They had agreed to meet for drinks with the proviso of dinner if things went well. Things did not go well.

Danny’s date was nervous, that much was clear. Danny was nervous herself. She couldn’t fault the woman for having nerves, they were strangers after all. Yet nothing she tried seem to calm her date’s nerves. Self-deprecating jokes, avoiding talking about their exes, not even trying to comment on the other patrons of the bar had helped the situation any.

It had been excruciating trying to keep the conversation moving. Any question Danny left open so that her date could maybe ask something in return, she batted back with a one-word answer. Then there were the vodka-energy drink combos that her date was knocking back real fast and easy. Danny was a detective, she drank with detectives, but she had never seen anyone drink like this nervous woman.

In an attempt to give her the benefit of the doubt, Danny suggested that they maybe go get that dinner. If nothing else, Danny figured it would soak up some of the alcohol. Her date had already eaten before she got there.

The woman did have a proposition though. Danny perked up at this, it was the most she’d heard her speak all evening. Danny’s face fell instantly though when she heard said idea, her date invited her to a strip club.

Danny politely declined, she had no issue with strip clubs (or strippers) it just wasn’t her idea of a first date, getting to know you type activity. She quickly asked Kirsch for their check. Danny’s date announced she’d forgotten her wallet, so, Danny paid for their drinks. And the cab her date needed to get to said strip club.

“Damn it!”

Danny snapped firmly back into the present when she heard Kirsch curse as he waved a card payment machine around in the air.

“The wifi in this place is unreliable as all hell.” Kirsch complained as he moved closer to Danny’s end of the bar, trying to get a signal.

“Y’know, I know a guy who can probably help with that.” Danny offered.

“Can you call him now before I end up murdering this card reader?” Kirsch leant on the bar and pouted half seriously at Danny.

Danny couldn’t refuse those puppy dog eyes and fished her phone out her pocket, “Gimme ten minutes.”

“Thanks D-Bear!” Kirsch said enthusiastically, fist pumping as he pushed himself off the bar.

“Detective,” Danny corrected as she scrolled through her contacts and tried her best not to think about the fact she was sure Kirsch was flirting with her, “that’s the only word starting with D you’re allowed to address me as.”

“You’re a Dick, right,” Kirsch smirked as he backed away down the bar to where a group of young women were waiting for service, “got it.”

Danny rolled her eyes and smiled as she turned into the corner, away from the noise of the main bar, pushing her finger into her free ear so she could hear better,

“Hi, J.P?” Danny asked when she heard someone pick up on the other end, “Yeah, it’s Detective Lawrence. I need a favour.” Danny zoned out a little as her attention drifted back to Kirsch who was making a show of pouring shots, “Where am I?” Danny struggled to hear J.P over the sound system in the bar, “Yeah, it sounds like a bar cos it is a bar. A Bar Named Sue.” Danny found herself a little lost as she watched Kirsch’s arm flex and the muscles grow taught and then relax as he twirled a bottle of some horribly green alcohol around in the air. Danny’s mouth grew dry and she forgot entirely she was having a phone conversation. When she heard her name repeatedly, she remembered to talk, “Yeah, uh huh, the queer country western bar.” Danny paused, when she was sure J.P had the info she thanked him and hung up. Glancing at Kirsch she suddenly had a realisation. Wait. Did she _actually_ like that kind of thing?

Danny turned on her barstool so she was fully facing the bar again. She shook her empty beer bottle and waited for Kirsch, who came bounding towards her hopefully, “My guy will be here in a half hour.” Danny confirmed.

“Well, whatever can a bro do to repay you?” Kirsch batted his eyelashes over enthusiastically and winked when it drew a hearty laugh from Danny.

“I’ll take a beer to chase this whiskey.”

“What about my phone number?” Kirsch asked as he popped open a beer and placed it in front of Danny, “Since it’s clear you’re back on the market.”

Danny blushed a little and chuckled, “Yeah,” she nodded, “I’ll take that too.”

#

Carmilla woke with a start, her heart banging against her chest as if it was trying to burst free. Her skin was goose pimpled, she was panting, an impossible throbbing between her legs. Carmilla tried to breathe, slow and deep, calm the blood rushing through her veins at Mach speed, the ringing in her ears. The dream lingered around her. The sights, the smells, the sounds. Laura, Laura, Laura.

Carmilla had been dreaming about Laura. Her hands gentle and curious, her mouth hot. Carmilla squirmed and tossed the book laying open on her chest onto the coffee table, insulted that dream Laura’s skin was no longer within her reach. That a ghostly memory was her reality. That she had woken up on the sofa in the reading nook of her library alone.

Carmilla ran a hand through her hair and sighed. The sensations lessoning, the imaginary touches disappearing. She took another deep breath, in for five and then out for five. Carmilla could feel her heart beat slow, become steadier. It had felt so real. Nevertheless, it was not.

Carmilla sat up and glanced at the time on her phone, 5 pm. She lifted her tank top and looked at the fresh, pink scar on her abdomen, free of stitches, shiny and standing out against the rest of her skin. Carmilla let the fabric fall from her hand. Perry had cleared her for light workouts. Maybe a light workout would clear her head.

After some cardio, some weights and a round with the punch bag Carmilla felt a little better. However, the ghost of the throbbing between her legs was still present and she was beginning to feel the need to punish her body further. Her stupid body and that stupid dream. She eyed the pull up bar and thought, fuck it.

Putting in a healthy set of reps, Carmilla let herself drop from the bar more than a little gingerly. She bent at the waist and placed her hands on her knees. Sweat was pouring from her forehead, down her nose and onto the floor in front of her. Oh man, she thought she was going to throw up. The sudden sharp pain below her ribcage had stopped her dead in her tracks.

"I told you if it feels wrong, to stop."

Carmilla stood straight at the sound of Perry’s chiding voice behind her, she held a hand protectively over her side as she turned and tried to look un-pained,

"I stopped." Carmilla choked out.

"How far did you push past the pain before you stopped?" Perry said, clicking her tongue in disapproval as she crossed the room to where Carmilla stood.

"It's fine," Carmilla said holding up a hand to keep Perry at a distance, "I'm fine."

"I wanted to supervise your first work out." Perry reprimanded.

"And I’m not a child who needs supervised." Carmilla replied curtly as she began to walk off what remained of her pain.

"What time did you come down here?" Perry asked as she handed Carmilla a towel.

Carmilla looked at the clock on the wall, it read a little after 7 pm, shit, "An hour ago," Carmilla lied, her face buried in the towel in an attempt to hide from Perry. She didn't realise she'd been working out for so long. Looking at Perry again she added, "I just, I needed to blow off some steam. I needed to punch _something_ if there's no _one_ to actually punch."

Perry’s face softened, "It's been quiet for weeks now Carmilla, maybe it's time to-"

"No," Carmilla interrupted, "he's just gone to ground. I need to find him before whatever he is planning happens." Carmilla paused, they had been dancing round the topic of her brother since it had all come tumbling out into the open, no one quite willing to prod at that wound yet, “I just need to find him."

Perry nodded. As much as she wanted, this probably wasn't just going to go away. She sat down on the wooden bench pressed against the wall and patted the spot beside her.

Carmilla hesitated for a moment before remembering she was a grown woman and not a child afraid of the inevitable scolding she could sense coming. She strode over and sat beside Perry.

“I know I haven’t been the most…approachable in the last few weeks,” Perry started, “but if you want to talk, we should probably talk.”

Carmilla relaxed a little, it wasn’t going to be an extended lecture about her pushing herself too hard. The problem now was that Carmilla had no idea what to say, where to start. She usually went to LaFontaine with a broken heart. Perry when she had a broken body. Yet the three of them had been moving round the house of late almost in shifts to avoid one another. LaF wore a permanent hangdog expression and Perry wore the weight of the half-truth like a millstone round her neck. Her usually perfect posture slumped as if she may cave in on herself at any moment if the wrong thing was said aloud.

Carmilla hadn’t pushed. She and Laura had been doing their own investigation. There was no point in needling LaFontaine and Perry when they had clearly divulged what important parts they knew, but it was all that other stuff that was sitting left unsaid between them. The smaller, yet horribly large stuff. The stuff that had made being cooped up in the house for the last few weeks almost unbearable. That was the stuff Perry was offering to talk about now,

“How…I mean…Am I…” Carmilla huffed in frustration and stopped, she couldn’t get her thoughts straightened out long enough to actually form a question. She took a deep breath and tried again, “If I was created in a lab, why do I look so much like them? I mean, at least I always thought I did…”

Carmilla trailed off and looked at her bare feet, her toes wiggling nervously on the concrete floor of the gym. All the momentum of wanting to have an adult conversation about the whole situation was slipping away from her. Carmilla felt small, vulnerable and lost. She had been made an orphan once in her life already, finding out her parents weren't her actual parents threatened to leave her adrift.

“Oh, oh Carmilla dear,” Perry reached forward and lifted Carmilla’s chin gently, so they were eye to eye, “she may not have given birth to you, but you were their child. Genetically.”

Carmilla instinctively jerked her chin away from Perry’s hand, “That doesn’t make sense,” Carmilla furrowed her brow and bit back her temper. There was nothing to gain from losing her cool with Perry again but she just wanted to explode, “why would they use their own DNA for a government experiment?”

“I, I don’t have the answers to fill in all the blanks. That information is likely in some godforsaken redacted file, but I know you were theirs. Your mother would not have lied to me about that.”

“The more I know about this…” Carmilla trailed off and shook her head dismayed, “If we were both theirs, how could they give one of us up?”

Perry made a strange sound, somewhere in the middle between a sob and a laugh, “They tossed a coin.”

Carmilla leant forward and put her head between her knees, she felt sick again. What an arbitrary way of deciding someone’s future. Who could do that to a child? “Why not give us both up?” she mumbled, trying to get the nausea to dissipate.

“Your mother wanted to,” Perry said with a resigned sigh.

Carmilla sat up, the bewildered expression she was wearing melting as what Perry said sunk in,

“It’s what I would have done.” Carmilla stated coolly, she had always been a practical person. She could calculate the risk and reward in a situation faster than anyone she had met, it was what Mattie said would make her a fierce leader someday. If she would only get her impulsive side under control,

“It was too risky to even keep one of us. The only thing that makes sense would have been to give us both up to the world.”

“That was the original plan,” Perry was crying softly now, “but it was destroying your father. He couldn’t give both his children up and your mother couldn’t see him hurt like that.”

“So, they tossed a coin.” It was a statement of fact more than anything. Carmilla thought of the box that Laura had found hidden in the walls of the master bedroom. Along with the photo, had been a quarter. The persistent sadness in her father’s grey eyes now made more sense to her.

“I’m making it sound a lot simpler than it was. It almost broke us all.” Perry wiped her eyes with the edge of her sleeve, “Your mother had strict conditions. Your father was never to mention or try to contact your brother.” Perry sniffed, “I mean, LaFontaine and I even offered to take William.”

Carmilla wrapped her arms around her weary guardian and pulled her close. One faked pregnancy was risk as it was, two would have been far too much of a coincidence for the military not to be suspicious. Especially when LaFontaine and Perry were still in active rotation. There was no way of making the situation work.

“I’m so sorry,” Carmilla apologised as she gently rubbed Perry’s back, “I’ve been making this all about me. About what I didn’t know. I wasn’t thinking how hard it was to have lived with this secret all these years.”

Perry sunk into the warmth of the hug, appreciative of the simple gesture and Carmilla’s understanding words.

“You know,” Carmilla started as she pulled away, “when I was…gone. I had a teacher, she always said ‘Work with the information you have, not the information you are expecting to receive’.”

“Smart woman.” Perry stated.

“She is. You'd love her.” Carmilla got to her feet. She wanted to say that it was ok. She understood. Everyone was just trying to do the best that they could. Instead, she rocked on to the balls of her feet. She had never mastered how to exit a deep and meaningful chat,

“I better get cleaned up—”

“Before Laura gets here.” Perry interrupted.

Carmilla blushed, “Laura?”

“Oh, come now, she’s been here every night since you got hurt.”

“Has she?” Carmilla scratched her elbow and pretended she had no idea what Perry was talking about.

Perry stood from the bench and smiled, “Don’t think we haven’t noticed her sneaking in and out the house at all hours.”

Carmilla shook her head, “I don’t know what you and your dumb fool of a romantic spouse think you’ve seen, but there has been no sneaking. She’s been using the front door.”

Perry rolled her eyes.

Carmilla paused, “Thank you for being honest with me Perr’.”

“It was the least I could do.”

They crossed the bunker in a comfortable silence.

“Would you ever have told me? If none of this had happened?” Carmilla asked as they climbed the stairs to the main house.

“In the interest of our new-found honesty?” Perry gave a little, slightly shrill laugh, “Not if my life had depended on it.”

#

“So that’s it,” Laura finished relaying everything she knew to her dad, “the whole mess.” She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, “I just thought if there was anything, anything you might have known or could remember it would help us bust this thing right open.”

Laura’s dad sat silently, his eyes still firmly on the TV as the hockey game wound down to its final minutes. Laura watched his face for any hint of emotion or understanding, but it remained blank.

The soft bell that let visitors know there were only minutes left of visiting time chimed in the hallway.

“Ok Dad,” Laura got to her feet and leaned into his space to press a soft kiss to his temple, “thank you for listening. It felt good to say a lot of that stuff out loud.”

As Laura turned towards the door, she was surprised to hear the TV click off behind her. When she turned back to face her dad, he was out of his easy chair and moving towards the bureau the TV sat upon, he reached out and opened the middle drawer.

“Dad?”

Before Laura could ask him what he was doing, she heard the sound of tape ripping and watched as her dad pulled something small from the underside of the drawer and palm it. He stood back up and held his closed fist out to her.

A knock at the door startled them both,

“You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.” Gus announced cheerfully as he pushed the door open, “Well, Laura, look at that. You managed to get him out of his chair before we physically had to come drag him away from that TV to dinner.”

Laura smiled nervously and looked over her shoulder at her dad. He had a look in his eye that she couldn’t quite decipher, but it was a notable change to the blank stare he’d worn for years.

In the ensuing commotion of Gus coming into the room to escort her dad to the dinner hall, Laura lost the opportunity to ask her dad what was in his hand. She certainly didn’t notice when he slipped it into her pocket.

#

This was not how J.P had envisioned his evening going. He was always happy to help a friend with technical difficulties. Especially when said friend was his sort of superior. However, he had plans tonight. Plans he still needed to set in motion. Part of his plan was not schlepping to a bar on the opposite side of town to extend a Wi-Fi range and then drive a drunk detective home.

What was a good dude to do? Detective Lawrence was already half in the bag when he got to the bar. Then there were the shots that the bar back had set up to show how grateful he was for their help. J.P had politely declined, he didn't drink. There was always an uncertainty of control if he did. Detective Lawrence had continued to drink and shamelessly flirt with the bar back whilst J.P sorted out the simple issue with the Wi-Fi. When the bar back had asked if he'd drop Detective Lawrence off back at home he couldn't exactly say no. You can’t trust a person as drunk as Detective Lawrence was to the city cab services. No. No, that wouldn’t do.

J.P pulled up outside of the building that the bar back had directed him to, “Home sweet home." J.P said a little loudly for the confines of his small car. He winced as the sound of his own voice echoed off the windshield.

The drunk detective in the passenger seat didn't stir. Fuck, he thought as he flicked a switch and the passenger side window rolled down, J.P hoped the fresh night air would maybe bring Detective Lawrence to. When all that did was allow her head to loll out the window at an awkward angle, he begrudgingly opened his door and crossed round the car. Sure, she was tall and sure, she was a dead weight, but J.P was no slouch at the gym, he could do this. He could drag one drunk, passed out detective up a flight of small steps and into her apartment building.

J.P grunted as he awkwardly reached over Danny’s sleeping body to unclip her seatbelt. He let out an unexpected yelp as the full weight of her torso slumped forward into his not quite open arms and pinned him against the open car door. Fuck, was she made of concrete? J.P struggled to get a grip as his sneakers slipped on the wet pavement. With some effort, he heaved Danny back into the passenger seat of his car. He stopped and thought for a moment. Maybe, just maybe, this was better. Maybe this would actually strengthen his evening’s plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dun! Man, I love this chapter and the next one. They were a lot of fun to write. And maybe, just maybe, Danny’s not so bad huh? When she’s getting on with life and moving on? Also, does anyone want to go to a queer country and western bar called, A Bar Named Sue? If it doesn’t exist, we’ll open one. Please reread this chapter imagining Danny in a cowboy hat and a nice western shirt and laughing your ass off at her disastrous date. Also, welcome to the party Wilson, it's nice to have you slip in as a side character.
> 
> Anyway. Turns out my Laura Hollis is definitely still selfish in her pursuit of information when it comes to helping Carmilla Karnstein and what exactly is J.P up to? Well, if the answer to that doesn't draw you back next time, I can promise that the next chapter is ALL Hollstein.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and Carmilla play a game…that’s it, that’s all you’re getting. Read it. It’s pretty good imho.

Laura was exhausted. It had been a long, long day. After being ushered out her dad’s room she’d sat in her car for a good 15 minutes trying to figure out how to get back in the hospital to speak to him again. He was going to tell her something. She knew it. When her stomach let out an almighty grumble, Laura decided to calm down. She could come back first thing in the morning and hope that spark was still in her father’s eyes. There was no point in misusing her police badge to push the point. Disrupting his routine was more likely to shut him down again anyway.

So, instead, she found herself stood in a burger joint, stomach still grumbling, waiting on her take out order. All she wanted to do was reach the Karnstein estate as quickly as possible and tell Carmilla everything that had gone on at the hospital. Yet she knew that wasn’t going to happen. They didn’t talk about Laura’s Dad. Carmilla never asked and Laura never offered. Laura thought about calling Danny. Though that thought quickly disappeared when her phone dinged, signalling she had a message. Laura couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face when she saw it was from Carmilla. It was as if thinking about her had conjured the text,

_Are you coming over tonight, Cutie?_

Laura wiggled her thumbs over the keys as she thought about her response. Carmilla had never asked before, was she asking now because Laura wasn’t welcome tonight? Before she could reply, another text appeared.

_I’m hungry and you’re usually here by now._

Laura’s shoulders relaxed as she realised Carmilla was just being impatient. She typed her response. _I’ll be there in twenty minutes hopefully ;p._

Laura watched the three little dots appear immediately, and then disappear. Then they appeared again. And disappeared. Laura smirked as she watched this happen two more times. Someone was clearly having difficulty deciding what to say. Laura huffed a small breath of disappointment when Carmilla’s reply finally came through. All it said was,

_Cool._

Laura walked into the Karnstein library with two greasy bags of fast food in one hand and two milkshakes in the other. The sight that greeted her almost made her drop both.

Carmilla was up a ladder, wet hair pulled up into a messy bun, reaching for a book on the top self. The stretch in her arm was forcing her tank top to ride up her ribcage and reveal her stomach. Laura’s throat went dry and her heart kicked up its rhythm in her chest.

"You're staring, Buttercup,"

Laura blinked a few times to clear her vision and looked up from toned, sculptured abs to see a smug smile spread across Carmilla's face,

"I was seeing how you were healing," Laura muttered, embarrassed, as she crossed the room and placed the bags of food down on the coffee table that sat in front of the battered and well-worn chesterfield sofa.

"Ah, so your interest in my abs is purely medical?" Carmilla teased as she descended the ladder, the book she was looking for forgotten.

"Come and eat your dinner Karnstein or it's the last I bring you," Laura flopped down on the sofa and began digging through the bags of food.

Carmilla gratefully accepted her burger and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa. She busied herself with eating. It was only a little uncomfortable that the sofa that had played such a prominent part in her earlier dream now had Laura sat upon it. Within reaching distance.

Laura took a slurp of her milkshake, "Saw Perry on my way in. She gave me a super weird look."

Carmilla chuckled, "We had a good talk today,”

“You and Perry?” Laura asked.

Carmilla nodded, “It cleared the air a little.”

“Good,” Laura replied. She paused, “I visited my Dad today.”

The statement hung awkwardly in the air between them for a moment.

“Where is your Dad?” Carmilla asked hesitantly.

“Surely you’ve heard,” Laura said, suddenly more interested in fishing out the small crispy fries at the bottom of the bag than looking at Carmilla,

“I know _what_ I’ve heard, but I’d rather the actual facts from you.” Carmilla said gently. The articles she’d read about the mental decline of Sherman Hollis had been less than kind. The ableist language and lack of empathy in the reporting had begun to soften her heart toward the man she had blamed for her parent’s death.

“He’s at Solitude Heights.” Laura said curtly.

Carmilla waited for Laura to continue, when she didn’t Carmilla asked, “Is it a good place for him?”

“As good a place as any.”

“You know maybe I could put in some calls, see if there’s—”

“No. Thank you.” Laura sat her milkshake down on the table and wiped her hands with a napkin, “The staff are nice and he seems settled there.”

“That’s good.” Carmilla said. She didn’t know how to do this. She didn’t know how to have this conversation. Carmilla didn’t know how to say she knew what had happened wasn’t Laura’s Dad’s fault. That she understood that’s not how things work. That she had grown up.

"Playing solitaire again?" Laura asked, picking up a deck of cards sitting on the table and changing the subject.

"Helps me think," Carmilla replied, letting the topic of Laura’s Dad go.

Laura shuffled the cards. She split them into two piles and held one in each hand with her thumbs inward. Letting the cards go with her thumbs, they almost floated, interleaved onto the table.

"I'd heard the rumours, but I wouldn't believe it ‘til I saw it with my own eyes," Carmilla said half seriously, "Laura Hollis, card shark."

"Well maybe if we hadn't spent all of high school avoiding one another, I would have taken you for all your allowance as I did pretty much every other girl at Styria Prep." Laura shuffled the cards again with a flare and set the deck back down on the table.

"Did you ever play black and red?" Carmilla asked the hint of a smile at the corner of her lips, her dinner suddenly forgotten.

"Duh, it was practically the official sport of the school." Laura scoffed.

"You remember how to play?" Carmilla leaned forward and snatched up the cards. She placed them deliberately on the sofa cushion that separated her from Laura.

"If you draw a black card you get to ask a question, if you draw a red card you have to tell a secret, if you refuse to answer a question you have to take a dare and you get one veto on any question asked." Laura proudly reeled off the rules of a stupid game she hadn’t played in almost a decade. Sinking back into the sofa cushions she asked, "You want to play?"

Carmilla bit her bottom lip, trying to hide a smirk. She nodded.

Laura tried to keep her eyes from wandering to Carmilla's mouth but she couldn't. She watched as Carmilla leant forward and gently pushed the deck of cards towards her, urging her silently to take first pick. Carmilla's lip slipped from between her teeth, pinking upon its release. Laura swallowed hard and pushed the cards back towards Carmilla, there was no way she was going to go first,

"Does this mean you're going to be honest with me? No matter what I ask?" Laura asked.

"I promised I would." Carmilla shrugged, “Now’s a good a time as any.” She flipped over the card that sat at the top of the deck. It was black, "Favourite colour?" She asked.

"Seriously?" Laura laughed.

"Thought we could start with a softball Cutie." Carmilla offered as explanation, “Maybe if I take it easy on you, you’ll take it easy on me.”

Laura rolled her eyes, "Blue." She stated decisively.

"Interesting," Carmilla mused, "it used to be purple"

"Why would you remember that?" Laura smiled a shy smile.

"You'd be surprised what I remember." Carmilla returned Laura’s smile, a little mischievous, a little overconfident. She wanted to tell Laura that she remembered everything about her. That she had committed Laura to memory the night before she left town.

Laura shifted uncomfortably and sat forward, there it was. That tension that kept appearing when they were together. That tension that seemed to be screaming at her to kiss Carmilla. Laura cleared her throat and picked a card. She huffed when she saw it was red and placed it on the discard pile.

"Aww yes," Carmilla gloated, "cough up a secret Cupcake."

Laura said the first thing that came to mind, before she could overthink what she wanted to say, "That night you got hurt?" Laura paused and sucked in a breath, "I had a drink."

"How did that feel?" Carmilla asked, her face free of judgement.

"It felt...fine." Laura ran a hand through her hair as she struggled to find the right words, "I mean I only wanted one. I only had one. I didn't want to snatch the bottle out of LaF’s hands and down it."

Carmilla nodded and let Laura continue,

"I don't really feel the want for a drink as such. It's more that I need to quiet my brain and I find that a few drinks or a downer can do that for me. I mean is this what being an addict is?"

Carmilla noted that Laura had started gesticulating wildly with her hands as she talked. A fluttering indication of her anxiety and uncertainty. Carmilla wanted to take Laura’s hands in her own. To still them. Instead, she asked, "Did anyone say you were an addict?"

Laura’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion and Carmilla wanted to press kisses between them,

"Aren't I? Isn't that what someone who abuses alcohol and drugs is, an addict?"

Carmilla pondered it for a moment, "Sometimes we go through tough things and we need crutches, that doesn’t necessarily make you an addict. It makes you a human being, Sweetheart."

“Addicts aren’t human beings?” Laura cocked her head to the side, that wasn’t the kind of response she expected from Carmilla.

“Not what I meant,” Carmilla paused and thought about what she wanted to say, “I mean, you’ve abstained. Since I asked you to, you haven’t been drunk or checked out on pain pills. That shows you have it in you not to give in to addiction.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not an addict though.” Laura fired back.

“I suppose it doesn’t,”

A short silence fell between them before Laura remembered what they had been doing and nudged the cards toward Carmilla, "Your turn." She was tired of the spotlight being on her.

Carmilla drew a black card and struggled to keep the laugh that bubbled from her chest at Laura's dismay.

"Oh, come on!" Laura complained, "This deck is rigged."

This just made Carmilla chuckle more, “You shuffled them, oh great card shuffler,” when she composed herself, finally, she asked, "What's the story with you and Danny?"

"Veto!" Laura clamped her hand over her mouth when she realised how quickly and how loudly she'd yelled.

Carmilla’s eyebrows shot into her hairline, "That's what you're using your veto on?"

Laura nodded enthusiastically and leaned forward to pick a card, they weren't dwelling on that one any longer than necessary. They were not discussing Danny right now,

"Yes!" Laura hissed, "Finally!" She pumped her fist in the air and wiggled triumphantly in her seat. The card was black,

"Who’s Mel?"

Carmilla looked at Laura perplexed, how did Laura know about Mel? Before Carmilla could voice her confusion, Laura offered,

"You were muttering all sorts of garbled nonsense as you slipped in and out of consciousness in my car."

"Ah." Carmilla thought about how to continue, "She's a really good friend. Possibly my best friend. I roomed with her..." Carmilla trailed off as she tried to pick her words carefully, "I roomed with her in a hostel while I was traveling."

"That's all you're going to give me?" Laura asked fluttering her eyelashes, "You asked me to be patient and I have been." She couldn't believe that she finally had the opportunity to question Carmilla about where she had been and Carmilla was still feeding her these bullcrap lines.

Carmilla burst out laughing again, "Do you use that one with the perps you arrest? Flutter your eye lashes and they just spew out their confession?"

Laura huffed and crossed her arms across her chest, "Works sometimes. And I repeat, I have been patient."

Carmilla nodded in agreement, Laura had been patient. She'd proven herself to be trustworthy over and over again. Carmilla took a deep breath, "Ok. This is a long a story Cutie, but for now, I'll give you the cliff notes version. I spent the majority of my time away with a group called The Collective. They live...up some mountains. It's a place where you can go to learn things you need to learn. Help people who need help. It’s where I learned kung-fu." Carmilla waggled her eyebrows half seriously.

"In some mysterious mountain location?" Laura rolled her eyes. This wasn't really the answer she had been looking for and Carmilla was getting silly. A sure-fire sign she was trying to distract Laura from her line of questioning.

"Yes. In some mysterious mountain location. It's mysterious for your protection as well as theirs." Carmilla shrugged, "Mel was my roommate, my confidant-"

"Your girlfriend?" Laura chastised herself for interrupting with such a jealousy-laced question.

Carmilla barked a short laugh, "No. Gross. No. She was more like my sister."

"Oh." Laura said quietly, a slight blush of embarrassment peppering her cheeks.

For a long moment, they just sat looking at one another. Laura was suddenly aware that they had been inching closer to one another as they played. That their knees were close enough to touch. The thought set the hair on her arms on end. Then Carmilla was reaching forward to pluck a card from the pile and turning it over. Laura had missed her opportunity to push for further answers. The card was red.

"I missed you." Carmilla confessed shakily.

Laura was sure she had misheard, "Excuse me?" She asked.

"I missed you." Carmilla repeated, this time more confident, looking Laura in the eye.

That was what Laura thought she had heard. Those three words and the sincerity in Carmilla’s dark eyes sent thunder rumbling through her chest. As an uncomfortable silence descended between them, Laura realised that this was a conversation. That she had to say something,

"You had a funny way of showing it."

Oh no. Wait. That wasn't meant to come out like that. Laura scrambled to try and think of something to say to diffuse the tension but it seemed like her brain was determined that they were going there, they were going to have _that_ conversation. So be it,

"I mean," Laura scoffed, " you left me to wake up in your bed _alone_ , you stayed out of touch for years. You let me think you were dead.” Her voice cracked a little on that last part.

"Wait. What?" Carmilla's heart broke at the sight of water collecting in the corner of Laura’s eyes. The hurt that was so evident in her voice. Carmilla couldn't stop herself from reaching out to take Laura’s hands in her own this time, "That's, that's not what happened. I left you a letter,"

Laura tugged trying to free her hands from Carmilla's, but Carmilla just gripped her tighter,

"I sent you postcards for the first three years I was travelling." Carmilla was pleading, she needed Laura to believe her, "and, I stayed in touch for as long as I could. Before, before I got to the Collective."

Laura looked hard at Carmilla, searching her eyes for any hint of a lie, she couldn't find one, "I never got any mail from you."

"Seriously?" Carmilla asked, she was so confused, but then,

"Danny!" They both said in unison.

Laura shook her head in disbelief, “I knew Danny had been hiding something from me. I had no idea it was that. She knew this whole time.”

“You never called her on what she was keeping from you?” Carmilla asked.

“Several times. But…” Laura shrugged dismissively and looked away shamefully. She had asked Danny multiple times when she thought her behavior odd, but Laura had never pushed it far enough because pushing it would reveal some ugly truth she wasn’t sure she had been ready to deal with. Push her to reveal her own ugly truth.

“I can’t blame her,” Carmilla gave Laura hands a squeeze, bringing her attention back to Carmilla, “I probably would have done everything in my power to hold on to you too. If you had been mine.”

Laura blushed. She dropped one of Carmilla's hands so she could pick a card. Red.

"I missed you too," Laura kept her eyes firmly locked with Carmilla's. She felt Carmilla’s thumb brush across the back of her knuckles. Something about that simple gesture sent a heat unfurling slowly in her veins. It made her suck in a sharp breath and straighten her back. She watched as Carmilla picked a card with her free hand, black.

"Will you go out on a date with me?"

Laura laughed at the thought of something as normal as going on a date with Carmilla Karnstein. It was an unfamiliar laugh. It felt more free and lighter than she had in a very long time.

"Is that a no?" Carmilla asked, scratching the back of her neck self-consciously.

"It's very much a yes," Laura beamed, leaning forward and snatching up a card. She glanced at it quickly and decided black or red, it didn't matter. Laura swept the cards off the sofa and closed the small gap between them, "I really want to kiss you," she whispered.

"I wouldn't have any complaints if you did," Carmilla sighed, her voice rough with want, “I had a dream about you earlier.” She confessed.

“You did?” Laura grinned, her lips ghosting over Carmilla’s, “What were we doing in this dream?”

A smirk tugged at the corner of Carmilla’s mouth, “Well, we were on this sofa and you were- “

Before Carmilla could finish her sentence, Laura shifted quickly and straddled Carmilla’s hips. With a small flourish, Laura ground her ass lightly against Carmilla’s thighs, teasing, and settled herself softly in Carmilla’s lap.

Carmilla took a deep breath through her nose as she realised she was pinned between Laura and the sofa, “Yeah, exactly like this.” She breathed out shakily and then, Laura kissed her.

The kiss was unhurried, shuddering, deep. Carmilla could feel Laura's fingertips as they gently pressed against the underside of her jaw, acquiesced when Laura’s tongue licked lightly across her bottom lip asking permission to enter her mouth. It was infinitely better than the dream that had woken her earlier. It was infinitely better than all the dreams of Laura she had ever had.

Laura couldn't stop her hips from rocking forward as Carmilla's tongue slid against her own. Carmilla tasted right. The strong hands tugging at the back of her shirt felt right. It all felt…just so right.

Carmilla blinked her eyes open as she felt Laura pull away. She fell forward slightly as she chased Laura’s lips. Sitting back with a pout, Laura’s hand gently pressed at her chest, keeping her at bay. Carmilla watched with confusion as Laura fished her phone out the pocket of her jeans. She hadn't even heard it ring.

"It's the station," Laura said with a frustrated huff, running a hand through her hair, "I need to—"

"Yeah, I understand," Carmilla said as Laura climbed off her. Carmilla let her head fall back with a sigh. She stared at the ceiling and shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Twice she’d been left wanting by Laura that day. Carmilla snapped her head forward when she heard Laura’s voice begin to sound agitated,

"No, she isn't with me," Laura paced in front of the coffee table, "wait, what?” Laura stopped dead in her tracks, “When?” she jammed her feet into her boots, “Ok. I'm coming. I'll be right there." Laura hung up and turned to Carmilla apologetically.

"You have to go?" Carmilla asked. She coughed in an attempt to cover the whine that somehow made its way into the end of her question.

"It's Danny," Laura pocketed her phone, "something's happened, I need to, I have to,” Laura gestured towards the door, words failing her as she began running through the possible scenarios in her mind, “her neighbours heard some sort of commotion and now she's gone."

“Gone?” Carmilla asked, “Like off the radar gone or kidnapped gone?”

“I don’t know.” Laura said, starting to sound a little frantic, “I just, I have to go and help.”

Carmilla stood, "What can I do?"

Laura frowned and shook her head, "Nothing," She shrugged her jacket on, "it's a cop thing. Stay out of it."

Carmilla felt like she'd been slapped across the face. Before she could say anything else, Laura was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang! Inadvertently clam jammed by Dan. What can you do?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla gets suited and booted and things finally click into place for Laura.

Carmilla skulked around the main hanger of the bunker. She had wandered down there after Laura left, wanting to talk to LaFontaine, but at the same time not wanting to talk to LaFontaine at all. So, instead, she kept wandering around, picking things up, putting things down, and scuffing her feet along the concrete floor.

There had been too many emotional conversations for one day and Carmilla didn't know if she had another in her. Yet here she was, wearing a hole in the floor outside LaFontaine’s workshop and trying to figure out how to make an entrance that wasn't just her barging in and complaining about how Laura had left her hanging to run off and find Danny. It was a cop thing, stay out of it? Where the hell had that come from? One minute they were a team working together, blurring the strict boundaries of the law and the next she was getting pushed out? It was less a cop thing and more a Danny thing, Carmilla sulked. Laura hadn't wanted to talk about anything to do with Danny during their card game. Which likely meant that Laura still had unresolved feelings, right? That—

"Kid, are you going to continue pacing or do you want to come in and talk about something?"

LaFontaine’s voice came from beyond the ajar door to their lab snapping Carmilla from her spiralling thoughts,

"I'm fine," Carmilla replied, she stopped pacing and self-consciously shoved her hands in her sweat pant pockets.

"Uh-huh," LaF said distracted.

Carmilla peeked through the door and saw LaF crouched over their workbench, a solder iron in one hand, what looked like a gauntlet of some sort in the other,

"Whatcha doin?"

LaFontaine looked over their shoulder and smiled. Carmilla had stuck her head part way through the door. She had always asked them that as a kid whenever they were working on something. Carmilla's eyes had somehow retained a childlike curiosity when it came to LaFontaine’s work.

"I'm working on my penance." LaFontaine said soberly as they turned back to their work.

"Penance for what?" Carmilla scoffed, "Raising me like your own?"

"Penance for lying to you for your entire life." LaFontaine clarified.

"Christ LaF," Carmilla hid behind the door, not quite wanting to have another face-to-face deep and meaningful, "I would have done the same. It's...fine." Carmilla cringed. Fine wasn't a strong enough word. However, everything was, fine.

"Well as long as everything's _fine_ ," LaFontaine put the solder iron down and stretched their back with a little groan, "you might as well push that door all the way open and come in and see what I've been working on."

Carmilla did as instructed and pushed the door open. A small gasp left her lips as she saw what was standing on a tailor's dummy in the middle of the room. A new suit. It looked like LaFontaine had finally finished her new suit.

LaF stood with a small smile forming at the edges of their mouth, the look of awe on Carmilla's face gave them some indication they may have gotten it right this time, "You want the tour?" LaFontaine asked as they swung their legs over the bench seat and stood.

Carmilla nodded a silent yes, current thoughts of Laura pushed to the back of her brain for the time being, as she took in all the gear laid out around the room.

"Well, you know the deal with the hood," LaFontaine started as they crossed round the back of the tailor's dummy and pointed at its head. Absorbs bullets, changes your voice." They moved so they were stood next to the dummy and pointed at its torso, "Lightweight, state of the art Kevlar jacket and pants, layered below some nice black, low light reflecting, soft leather," LaF pointed between the jacket and the pants of the suit, "I know you like leather. And black. It will stop most bullets and knives, tear resistant, insulated against electrical currents and flame retardant too."

"Is this the part where you tell me it's systematic, hydromatic, ultramatic...?” Carmilla trailed off as she reached out a hand and felt the material of the jacket between her thumb and forefinger.

LaF rolled their eyes good naturedly and continued, "The boots—"

"I don't need new boots," Carmilla interrupted, a little too quickly for LaFontaine’s liking.

"Well if you did need new boots,"

"I don't."

LaF sighed, "Shall I just move on to defences?" They motioned at the workbench.

"Please." Carmilla said as she turned and surveyed the many objects spread out.

"This," LaFontaine said, picking up what looked like a carbon fibre baton, "you're going to dig. Here,"

LaFontaine handed the baton to Carmilla, who accepted it with a little trepidation,

"Put your thumb here," They shifted Carmilla's thumb into position, "and tap once."

Carmilla did as she was told, "Woah," she looked on excitedly as the baton extended in length in one direction.

"Now you have a billy club, good for bashing the criminal element at close quarters." LaF smirked, "Now tap it twice."

Carmilla raised her eyebrows in interest and did as she was told, tapping her thumb against the same spot twice. The shaft extended again, but this time in both directions,

LaFontaine full on beamed with pride as they watched Carmilla realise what she held in her hands, "Now you have a bo staff."

Carmilla couldn't contain her glee as she gave the staff a little flourish and brought it to rest behind her knee.

"Tap it three times and it goes back to its original length and you can stow it safely in the holster built into the back of your jacket."

"Well that's just swell." Carmilla looked at the items still laid out on the table, "What about these?" She pointed at the gauntlets LaFontaine had been working on when she had arrived.

"Ah. Well. Those," LaF scratched the back of their head and shrugged, "those aren't quite ready yet."

"But when they are?" Carmilla prompted.

"They're gloves that...pack a punch."

Carmilla groaned at the pun and covered her eyes faux dramatically, "Dad jokes."

LaFontaine chuckled, "They're gloves that will also basically have an inbuilt Taser in them. Y'know, you punch a criminal and said criminal also gets 50,000 volts thrown at them."

Carmilla made a noise of approval and pointed at the last item on the bench, it looked like a normal pen, "What's that?"

"That's my pen." LaFontaine said straight faced, "I use it for notes and stuff."

"Oh," Carmilla said, a little disappointed that it wasn't some other gadget.

LaF burst out laughing at Carmilla's crest fallen face and snatched up the pen from the bench, "I'm kidding, kiddo!" They twisted the pen and pulled to reveal a small knife, "I know you're not into weapons that kill, but you never know when you might need a weapon that maims. Or you know something at least a little sharp." LaFontaine shrugged and waited for Carmilla to take it all in.

"LaF," Carmilla looked at them in awe, "I don't even know where to begin to say thank you."

"It was the least I could do," LaFontaine started, fobbing off the praise, "I only have one question for you,"

"What's that?"

"Do you want to try it on?"

Carmilla nodded enthusiastically and threw herself at LaFontaine, grabbing them into a huge hug. It felt like all her birthdays had come at once.

#

"Mulcahey," Laura called as she jogged towards the police tape that now adorned the outside of Danny’s apartment block. It suddenly struck her that this was the first time she had actually been here.

When the portly, gruff detective ignored her, Laura fumbled for her badge that hung round her neck, tucked inside her coat. She flashed it at the beat cop who stood guarding the scene and came to an abrupt stop when he didn't move to let her past.

"Excuse me," Laura started and went to move under the tape.

"Wait a moment ma'am," the beat cop looked over his shoulder at Detective Mulcahey, clearly unsure if he should let Laura enter the scene.

"Don't ma'am me, I just showed you my badge." Laura said, a little shorter than she usually would have been with the support at a crime scene. Danny was missing. She didn't have time to be ma'am'd by a baby police officer.

"Sorry detective," the cop apologised, he turned again and looked relieved to see Detective Mulcahey walking towards them.

"Hollis," Mulcahey stated dryly, "what're you doing here?"

Laura drew her colleague a look that she hoped conveyed the complete insanity of that question, "I'm here to help. What do we know?"

"It's a brand-new crime scene, detective," Mulcahey coughed without covering his mouth, "we don't know much."

"Well can I..." Laura trailed off as she went to duck under the tape. She stopped when she felt one of Mulcahey's paw push at her shoulder.

"Me and Peake have this one," Mulcahey looked Laura dead in the eye as he continued, "maybe go back to the station and pick up your own case."

Laura stood stunned for a moment. She thought about calling Mulcahey any number of the expletives currently firing through her brain, letting loose the rage and frustration that was boiling in her throat, but there was zero point. Losing her shit in front of an entire crime scene would do nothing but reflect badly on her. As satisfying as it would be, it would achieve nothing.

"I sincerely hope nothing like this happens to someone you care about." Laura said, slightly surprised at the steadiness of her voice. She hadn't been sure if she was going to pull that off. Laura turned without waiting for a response and walked quickly back to where she had abandoned her car.

Laura banged her fists off the steering wheel and barely contained the scream that was threatening to burst from her mouth. She closed her eyes and waited for her rage to subside. Shoving her hand in her pocket, Laura looked for her phone. It wasn't there, but she did feel a cold metal object. Pulling out her hand, she realised she was holding a key. For a moment, she sat there puzzled. The key had a number on one side and 'Do Not Duplicate' on the other. It was a safe deposit key. Where the hell had that come from and why was it in her pocket? Laura suddenly remembered the commotion as her visit with her dad had ended. The small object he'd pulled from the underside of the dresser drawer and held in his hand.

Laura’s phone rang, reminding her why she had been rifling through her pockets in the first place. Pulling it out she saw it was the Captain. Laura took a deep breath and answered,

"Captain Manning, they won't let me into the scene."

"I told them not to." Captain Manning replied calmly.

"What? Why? You were the one that called me down here."

The Captain sighed, "No, Detective, I called you to let you know your partner was missing. You tore off down to her apartment on your own steam."

Laura opened her mouth to respond, but thought better of it. The Captain was right. Technically.

"All we know is what the neighbours have told us so far." Captain Manning continued, "They saw a dark haired, Caucasian male struggling to shove an unconscious Detective Lawrence into a small model, modern car. Colour undetermined due to the streetlight, could have been black, could have been dark blue."

Laura’s stomach tightened. Dark haired. Caucasian male. It had to be him. Carmilla’s brother. But what on earth would he want with Danny? She meant nothing to Carmilla. Was it meant to be her that was currently missing, did he somehow snatch the wrong detective?

"Are you listening to me Detective?"

"Yeah, sorry,"

"It's my job to build you up, not to tear you down," the Captain continued, "let the team work the scene. We know where Detective Lawrence isn't. You know her best. Let's start trying to narrow down where she could be."

Laura nodded and then verbalised her response, "I understand. I'm on it."

Laura hung up the phone and turned the key she was still holding in her other hand. If her dad had thought it important enough to keep hidden, to sneak into her pocket, it had to be something worth checking out. She’d head to the bank after she’d been to A Bar Named Sue. If Danny had had a day off, she would have been to the bar.

#

"So?" LaFontaine asked, beaming with pride as they took in the sight of Carmilla fully suited and booted as Luna.

Carmilla threw a few tentative punches and kicked out with her leg, testing the manoeuvrability of the fabric, "Nailed it Pops." She grinned, "It's just right."

LaF grumbled affectionately at the nickname, "Well, I'm glad." LaFontaine trotted to the door of their workshop, "Stay right there,"

"Wait," Carmilla said distracted as she reached behind her for the bo staff that was nestled snuggly against her back, testing the reach and the smoothness of the release when pulling the staff out of its holster, "why?"

"I'm going to get Perr’. She'll want a picture of this." LaFontaine said as they hung against the doorjamb.

"Ugh," Carmilla complained, "no. This isn't senior prom or some shit."

"Do I need to remind you why we don't have senior prom photos?"

"Nope." Carmilla snapped quickly as she willed the flash of memory to stay at bay. You never quite forget the first time your guardians walk in all smiles, ready to take a nice prom pic and find you on your knees with your date's skirt hiked up around her waist, "Go get Perry."

Carmilla smiled as she heard LaFontaine whistling as they crossed the bunker and headed up the stairs. Whistling was good. Whistling meant LaF was happy. Carmilla busied herself whilst she waited by playing with the bo staff. This thing was her perfect weapon.

#

Laura yanked the door to A Bar Name Sue open and barreled down the entry stairs,

“Woah there little nerd,” Kirsch said as Laura nearly bowled him over as he made his way back to the bar, arms laden with empty glasses.

“Seriously Kirsch, I’ve been drinking here for nearly a decade and you still can’t call me by my name. L-a-u-r-a.”

Kirsch shrugged, “The nickname picks you.”

Laura shook her head, she didn’t have time for this, “I need to talk to you Kirsch, about Danny, have you seen her today?”

“D-bear!” Kirsch’s face lit up at the thought of Danny, “Yeah, she saved my bacon earlier. Called some little, weird tech dude in to fix our shady wifi.”

Laura thought for a moment, “What did he look like?”

“Um, he came up to about here on me,” Kirsch motioned to his shoulder, “looked deceptively strong, but somehow weak at the same time- “

“Kirsch did he have dark hair? Was he white?” Laura interrupted, exasperated at Kirsch’s meandering description.

“Yeah that sounds like him! I tried to give him some free shots for fixing the wifi but he didn’t drink, so D-bear downed them and then I had to ask him to take her home because she was so wasted.” Kirsch laughed. His face fell when he saw Laura’s serious expression, “Did something happen to D-bear?”

Laura was half way out the door when she turned and replied, “You might have just saved her life _bro_.”

It was all coming together for Laura. Finally. If she was right, she had a good idea who Carmilla’s brother was. Fingering the key in her pocket Laura hoped against all odds that whatever was in that safe deposit box would confirm her suspicions and with enough time to save Danny. Hell, hopefully it would help her narrow down where Danny was.

#

A small bedeep coming from LaFontaine’s computer drew Carmilla’s attention. She bent over and tapped the space bar, bringing the computer screen to life. Huh. A message on their secure channel. The one only she and LaF use to communicate about vigilante stuff.

Carmilla looked over her shoulder at the door to the workshop, as if she just expected LaFontaine to be standing there with Perry, waiting to tell her what to do. They still hadn’t returned from going to fetch Perry and her camera.

Carmilla looked back at the screen, trying to decide if she should click on the message or wait for LaFontaine. Carmilla shrugged, fuck it, and opened the message. A video began playing instantly. Carmilla felt her blood run cold as the frame came into focus and there was Danny sat tied to a chair. Then the voice came. Mother.

Carmilla listened intently as the mechanical version of her mom's voice explained that this wasn't what the plan had been. That she had had something grander planned, but this would do. It was simple. Release the truth about Karnstein’s to the press before sunup or Detective Lawrence was to become Mother’s first murder victim.

Carmilla resisted the urge to put her fist through the computer monitor. Well at least she now knew who had Danny. As she went to snatch her phone up off the workbench where it lay, it began to vibrate. Thank the goddess it was Laura,

"I know who has Danny." Carmilla stated without saying hello.

"I know who your brother is." Laura said at the same time.

"Wait." Carmilla sat on LaFontaine’s bench before her knees betrayed her, "You go first."

"It's the same person." Laura took a deep breath and stared at the papers spread out in front of her on the desk in the middle of the safety deposit vault, "I mean it's Mother, your brother, your mother _is_ your brother,” Laura paused to take another breath and attempted to make actual sense, “Mother definitely is your brother and they have Danny."

Carmilla stared at the paused video on the monitor, "We just got another demands video."

"What did it say?" Laura chewed her lip nervously.

"Same demand as before, tell the world what my parents did, but Danny’s life is on the line this time." Carmilla's heart sank at the sharp intake of breath Laura made on the other end of the line.

"How long do we have?" Laura began hastily scooping all the papers up into one pile again.

"Until the sun comes up."

Laura looked at the clock on the wall of the vault, that didn’t give them as much time as she would like, "He's been right under our noses this whole damn time."

"Who is he?" Carmilla asked calmly.

"J.P. J.P, the guy from my fudging station is your brother." Laura glared at a photo in one of the open files, a younger J.P, but J.P it was. She began stuffing the files from the vault into her bag. Laura would deal with the irritation and the downright embarrassment that their perp had been literally under their noses later. Now, they had to save Danny.

"Wait. The IT guy from your precinct is my brother?"

"Look, Carmilla—"

"Laura, if this is the part where you fill me in on his tragic back story, don't. I don't want that on me when I come face to face with him. Until I know Danny’s safe, I can't think of him as my brother. He's just any other low life."

"Well that's the thing,"

Carmilla slowly got to her feet as Laura explained. There wasn't really a tragic back story. Sherman Hollis had been monitoring J.P (well, William) for Karl Karnstein for years. All of the years in fact. The files started the year Carmilla and William were born and continued right up until Sherman Hollis had become seriously unwell. Her father had continued monitoring William even after the Karnstein’s had died.

William was adopted by a great family, the Luce’s, he went to college, he got a PhD. Laura knew how smart J.P was when it came to technology. It was clear he had obfuscated his records, changed his name to J.P Armitage and created a labyrinth online to misdirect anyone who started looking for him. It was such an arrogant and ridiculous strategy, to partly hide in plain sight. It was a very Karnstein thing to do.

"What's his fucking problem?" Carmilla asked as she started gathering up the toys LaFontaine had made for her, "I expected a horrible story of a kid who was thrown away on the arbitrary toss of a coin. Not some well raised guy who could be leading a decent life."

"He's just an asshole?" Laura offered with a shrug.

"Do we know where he has Danny?" Carmilla asked as she tore out of LaFontaine’s workshop and headed for her bike.

"Yeah. I think so." Laura paused. Carmilla wasn't going to like what she was about to say, "If I was a betting woman,"

"But you're not, you're a detective."

"Ok, my detective-sense is saying we check out the old Styria City Lutheran Church. It's been derelict for years and it was where your parents handed him over to his adopted family before they whisked him off to Europe." Laura paused for the barrage of swearing she expected. She was surprised when the reply came calmly,

"You mean the building that's 3 miles east of the building I'm standing in right now?"

"Yup. That’s the one."

A silence fell on the line as Carmilla swung her leg over her bike and got ready to start it,

"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier." Laura said hesitantly.

"You don't need to apologise." Carmilla paused, her free hand wrapped around the throttle. There was something in Laura’s voice that hinted at something more. Something she wasn’t saying.

"Carm?"

"Yeah?"

Laura choked on the words she wanted to say. The words she wanted to say just in case. Just in case finding Danny went sideways. Instead of saying those words, she said, "I'll call for back up."

"No. No cops yet."

"But—"

"Please, Laura. Come get LaFontaine and Perry and meet me there. They're all the backup you'll need."

"Ok." Laura replied reluctantly, "I'll see you there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. So. There we have it. I don’t doubt y’all pretty much had the thing figured out once you knew J.P was in the story AND Carmilla had a secret brother named William. But hell, it was still a fun reveal to write. Come on back next time for the big action chapter. Will Danny survive? How will Carmilla take meeting William face to face for the first time? Will these useless lesbians ever sort out their feelings for one another! Find out soon!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW for this chapter: A fair amount of violence and description of bloody injury. 
> 
> Well. Here we are folks. The beginning of the end. I originally had this as one monster chapter and decided to split it in two to let it breath a bit. Does Danny meet a sticky end? Do Carmilla and William have a chat and figure things out? Read on to find out.

Danny groaned as she groggily tried to open her eyes. How much did she have to drink last night? Beginning a mental tally, she counted the couple she had during the date, then the few she'd had to drown her sorrows, then there were the shots Kirsch insisted they do when J.P had fixed the wifi...Danny smirked as she remembered Kirsch flirting. She tried to rub her tongue against the roof of her mouth, but struggled. Wow, this was some intense hangover dry mouth. It felt like she'd been sucking on an old sock. Jesus, had she fallen asleep with the window open? It was freezing.

Danny choked as she tried to clear her throat. Her eyes snapped open as she came to fully all at once. She _was_ sucking on an old sock. Danny screamed against the gag shoved in her mouth as she pulled at the restraints keeping her pinned to a chair. The last thing she remembered was J.P-

Danny froze when she heard voices behind her,

"You could have used the door you know."

Danny recognised that voice. It was J.P’s. She craned her neck to try to see behind her, get a perspective on why she was currently tied to a chair in what looked like a derelict building. All she could see was the top of a shattered window. Danny looked around, trying to pin point where she was exactly.

The wall in front had a radiator half hanging off, no windows, the paint yellowed and peeling. To her left, some scattered chairs and garbage. Bibles. There were bibles strewn all over the room. To her right, a wall with a double door and an old bulletin board. Danny scanned the bulletin board's faded posters. A church. She was in the old Lutheran church. 

"I prefer the more dramatic entrance."

Danny knew that damn voice too. It was Luna. It was that fucking vigilante. What the hell was she stuck in the middle of? Danny began to struggle viciously against her restraints. She heard glass crunching underfoot as she worked desperately to dislodge the sock from her mouth, gagging and dry heaving as it tickled the back of her throat.

"I wasn't sure who would come,"

J.P's voice was coming closer. Danny saw the blue of his shirt in her periphery, then his torso came into view, then the gun pointed squarely at her forehead as he circled round to stand in front of her.

"Detective Hollis is on her way."

Danny guessed Luna was a little behind her from the direction of the vigilante's voice. She looked up and saw J.P’s face twitch and tick. Danny stopped struggling. She stared defiantly at her captor and thought of all the ways she could accidentally punch him in the dick whilst arresting him.

J.P laughed, "No, I didn't know if you would come as Luna or as Carmilla Karnstein."

Danny’s brow furrowed. She winced as a cut on her forehead stung with the movement.

"Sorry about your forehead," J.P apologised, taking his eyes off Luna momentarily, "I kinda dragged you in here and caught your head on a pew."

Danny’s head was swimming. She couldn't really retain anything that was being said. Luna was here. Laura was on her way. Why would Carmilla Karnstein be here? For that matter, what did any of this have to do with the vigilante? Why was one of the forensic IT guys pointing a gun at her head? She began to struggle against her restraints again.

"Why don't you put the gun down?" Luna growled, "I don't have any weapons with me."

"You don't think I want to have a fist fight with you, do you?" J.P blanched, “That’s a little uncouth.”

"But you'd happily shoot me?" Luna laughed.

Danny heard the vigilante take one quiet step towards her. Her brain was still frantically trying to catch up. That laugh. That laugh was familiar. What the fuck did Carm— Oh, come on. No way. Carmilla was Luna? Carmilla Karnstein was the masked vigilante of Styria City? Of course, she fucking was. Danny tugged a little harder at the restraint round her right ankle, it felt loose. If Carmilla was Luna and Luna was here, J.P was the fucking idiot who had been threatening Karnstein. She had to get out of there. She needed back up and her gun. This was her chance to finally put this case to bed.

"You aren't unarmed. That thing on your back," J.P gestured with his gun.

Luna reached behind her back carefully and removed the collapsed bo staff, "This?" She shrugged, "It's a club. Not great from this distance."

Danny noted another step. She began carefully rubbing the rope round her right ankle against the edge of the chair leg. The more Luna talked, the more J.P’s focus drifted from aiming his gun at her.

"So why come as Luna?" J.P asked, “Does she make you feel stronger?”

Danny heard the rustle of fabric and then another voice she recognised, "Carmilla is here as well."

Another step.

"Granted I didn't know for sure at first."

Danny watched keenly as J.P waved his gun around as if it was a prop to punctuation. Luna just had to keep him talking long enough for her to free herself.

"But after that night when I picked you up at the hospital, I knew" J.P continued, "I knew for sure."

"That was you?"

“It was,” J.P gave an embarrassed chuckle, “I mean, I guess my bomb making skills aren’t as advanced as I thought they were. Whoever tripped the explosion certainly was meant to have more time to get clear before the big bang.”

Luna was right behind Danny now. Danny watched as J.P brought his gun to rest just to the side of her head, pointing in the vigilante’s direction. He was hedging his bets. Making sure he could get a shot off on both of them if necessary.

“I see,” Carmilla replied drolly, “so I wasn’t meant to get propelled from the third floor by the blast, impaling myself on some rebar?”

Danny watched J.P fidget, she could tell he was desperate to edge towards the double door to her right. She presumed it was the only entrance and exit to the room.

"Yuh-huh, duh" J.P scoffed back, "I’ve been so bored waiting for you to heal so this would at least be interesting. Although, if you hadn't jumped from my car like some sort of lunatic when I scooped you up and tried to help, we could have had _this_ chat sooner."

Danny felt the rope round her ankle fray and loosen. Thank fuck. She had had enough of...of whatever the hell she was currently literally in the middle of.

"Put the gun down." Carmilla demanded again calmly.

Danny watched as J.P tipped his head back and laughed. Fucking idiot, she thought as she snapped the rope, freeing her ankle. Danny took great pleasure in raising her knee up and bringing her foot down as hard as she could against his shin.

Carmilla watched William begin to crumple in pain, she took this as the distraction she needed. Flicking her wrist out, she slipped the baton to the edge of her grip. Tapping it twice, she watched as it extended, cracking William painfully on the back of the hand and forcing him to drop his gun.

Danny smirked as the gun clattered to the ground next to her free foot. She kicked it as far as she could, watching the pistol rattle across the floor and settle under the radiator. Danny began yelling at Carmilla to get her loose through the gag.

Carmilla reached out and quickly grabbed the sock stuffed in Danny's mouth, pulling it as she stalked around the chair towards her brother. She heard Danny coughing and spitting behind her.

William stumbled, his shin still stinging and fell backwards into the door, his uninjured hand scrambled frantically, looking for the doorknob, "I guess you win again."

"How is any of this about winning or losing?" Carmilla clenched her fists, she felt the new leather of the gauntlets creak, it suddenly occurred to her that LaFontaine hadn't shown her how to activate them or even if they would work because they weren't finished.

"For the winner it never is!" William spat as his anger took over and he stopped searching for the doorknob, "They made us, they made us _more_ and then they threw me away like I was rotten like all the rest of the failed attempts!" He pushed himself off the door and stood to his full height.

Carmilla thought about the bracelets in the photo she'd found in her parent's room, C020 and W021. Nineteen failed attempts at creating whatever it was they were supposed to be.

"Nobody is a winner here," Carmilla growled as she leaned into William’s space, "they're dead you fucking asshole." Carmilla blinked hard as a familiar scent filling her nostrils. It was her father. She could smell her dad. The smell of him fresh in from a run. The smell of him after working in the garden on summer days.

"At least you grew up with them." William countered.

Carmilla stumbled backwards and felt pressure in her chest where William had shoved her, smelling her father had caught her off guard. Carmilla planted her feet and made sure she created a stable base. She wouldn't let him shove her off balance like that again. It wasn't how she was taught to fight.

Women, Mattie had explained on Carmilla's first day of training at the Collective, lived in a very different world to men. You may be a child when you realise this or you may be lucky to make it to adolescence before it becomes your reality. It's a shocking lesson that every girl or woman must learn. Women live in a world where the places that are supposed to be safe can pose danger. Women live with the knowledge that the places we are told to go to seek protection and justice will disregard, laugh and even judge them for the things that happen to them. The things that are taken from them. When given the tools to protect themselves, women go from being unable to fight back, to knowing when to fight back. Mattie always said that the most terrifying woman in the world was one that is trained to fight. Especially in a patriarchal society.

Carmilla took a deep breath and still resisted the urge to lash out with her fists. Anger didn't win fights. Still, Carmilla couldn't resist the urge to bite back verbally,

"I was ten! Ten years old when they died. And you don't know the full story!"

"I've spent my entire adult life pouring over every military document I could get my hands on, any medical document I could get my hands on. I've read the whole story in black and white!" William roared as he finally took a swing at Carmilla.

Danny was morbidly fascinated by what was playing out in front of her. So much so, she stopped struggling against her restraints for a moment and just watched. It was like watching some sort of weird, violent choreographed dance. Maybe it was more like a super punchy game of chess. For every punch and kick J.P threw, Carmilla ducked, weaved or blocked like some sort of championship fighter and yet she never threw a counter punch back. To Danny, it looked like they were both anticipating every move the other made. She saw several opportunities where Carmilla could have landed a painful blow and yet she didn't. What was she waiting for? This was more fucked up than Danny could ever have imagined,

"Punch him in the dick for fucks sake!" Danny yelled in frustration.

William and Carmilla stopped their back and forth, the distraction of Danny yelling forcing them to take a breath and step back from one another.

Carmilla observed William closely. He was a competent fighter, quick as she was and with the ability to calculate the variables of how many kicks and punches could be thrown and where they may land. It would make winning through power an impossibility. Carmilla would be lucky to land a blow through his guard, but that didn't mean she couldn't win.

It was clear that even though competent, William was not trained. He was breathing heavily through his nose and pacing, trying to hide the urge to take great gulps of air through his mouth. He was close to being gassed. If Carmilla could just push him a little further, she could tire him out and win by submission.

Carmilla thought hard about what she was about to do, what she was about to say, "Do you know how they decided?" She snarled, wiping the sweat off her face with the back of her hand.

"Who to keep?" William stopped pacing and glared at Carmilla.

"They tossed a coin," Carmilla cocked her head to the side, "isn't that fucked up?"

William laughed, a great big belly of a laugh, which wasn't the reaction Carmilla had expected. She wasn't quite sure what to do with him laughing maniacally. Carmilla had expected anger, she had expected—

"There it is." Carmilla muttered under her breath as she planted her feet, locked her centre of gravity and watched as William charged towards her.

Carmilla felt her brother’s arms snake around her waist as he ploughed his skull into her solar plexus like some sort of battering ram, a quiet "Oof," left her lips as the air escaped her lungs and she struggled to pull in another breath.

For a moment, Carmilla's vision blurred and her hearing narrowed to a high-pitched whine. She felt the toe of one boot lift slightly from the ground and pleaded with her body to hang on, just hang on until she could draw another breath. As she felt an ankle wrap around her own and the world tilted, Carmilla realised she had miscalculated. William had managed to sweep her foot. As the ground came up to meet her and the weight of her brother landed on top of her, Carmilla found herself winded for the second time. She heard, rather than felt the cartilage of her nose implode, a sickening crunch echoing round her skull. Dazed and unable to draw a breath, Carmilla gasped and gurgled as blood flowed freely down her throat.

Carmilla felt the weight on top of her disappear and she rolled on to her side, coughing and spluttering, the room swimming back into her vision as she greedily filled her lungs with air. As her faculties returned, Carmilla realised that the noise buzzing round her head and annoying her wasn't a ringing in her ears any longer, but rather Danny repeatedly encouraging her to get up in increasingly vulgar ways.

"He's getting away, you useless fuck of a vigilante and he's got his gun back!"

As she shakily got to her feet, Carmilla gave Danny a hard stare. How was it in all that fighting Danny still only had one foot and one hand free? She had seen better attempts at escape in Indiana Jones movies. Carmilla pulled LaFontaine’s pen from the breast pocket of her jacket and unscrewed the tip to reveal the knife blade. She staggered over to Danny and dropped the knife in her lap. Without saying anything, she staggered out the double doors that led to the nave of the church in pursuit of William.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Danny yelled after Carmilla as she began to saw back and forth at the rope holding her other hand, "You could have just untied me!"

#

Laura cursed as she weaved in and out of traffic, trying desperately to get from the bank to the Karnstein estate. She drove hell for leather until she was passing LaFontaine’s very clever trees that weren't trees and coming to a screeching halt in the Karnstein estate drive way.

Laura left the car running as she took the front steps two at a time, bypassed the doorbell and threw herself through the front door into the reception hall.

"Fuck," Laura came to a skidding halt as LaFontaine and Perry met her in full tactical gear. Having found the video in LaF’s workshop and no Carmilla to be seen, they were ready to go to war.

"You know where she is?" Perry enquired calmly as she settled a bandolier of grenades over her head.

"Yeah," Laura replied breathlessly, "the church." She tossed her thumb over her shoulder, roughly in an easterly direction.

Perry’s face puckered with exasperation, "She's just up the road?"

Laura nodded, "My car's out front."

LaFontaine cocked the shotgun in their hands, "Let's go get our girl."

This time, Laura knew for sure she was included in that ‘our’.

#

Carmilla staggered into the nave of the church, wiping blood from her lips and chin as she went,

"Stop!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Carmilla tripped forward, still on shaky legs and put her arms out to steady herself on the back of a pew. “You went to all this trouble to meet me, to have the world know our story and now you’re just going to run away!”

To Carmilla’s surprise, William actually slowed and came to a stop below the raised pulpit. Carmilla pushed herself off the pew and tried to stand tall as he turned to face her,

"It wasn’t what I really had in mind,” William mused, “I thought you were just some rich asshole who would tell the world what our parents did, expose them for the monsters they were.” He threw his arms in the air dramatically and laughed again, “I wasn’t expecting such a fight! I don’t really like getting my hands dirty.”

“Well they’re plenty dirty now,” Carmilla’s lip curled into a sneer.

Just let me go!" William half-heartedly poked the gun in Carmilla’s direction.

"No." Carmilla stepped into the aisle.

"I'm not going to jail." William steadied his aim.

"You need some time to think about what you’ve done.” Carmilla took a tentative step up the aisle, "People have been hurt. You wanted to kill me."

"I wanted you to know the truth." William scoffed, “Killing you was never the point of all this.”

Carmilla tried to clear her nose; she spat blood on the ground and wondered briefly if that was some sort of sacrilege, spitting blood in a church, "You wanted me to know your truth."

William shrugged.

"You can't change or erase your past, as much as you might want to." Carmilla hovered her thumb over the sweet spot on the baton, "It's done. You can only learn from it and move on." Carmilla knew what it felt like to feel like you had lost everything. She also knew what it felt like to turn that emptiness into something good.

"If you're done pontificating," William scoffed, "I'm just going to be on my way." He started walking backwards.

Carmilla tapped her baton three times, keeping her eyes on William as it extended into a staff.

William laughed, "What exactly do you think is going to happen, when there's only 20 yards between us and I have the handgun."

"I'll take my chan—" Carmilla swallowed the end of her sentence as she fell backwards. Christ, it felt like a train moving at full speed had clipped her shoulder. Pain burst out in all directions, hot and searing, feeling like everything and nothing all at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww hell. Carmilla’s shot and her brother is getting away!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: More description of injury.
> 
> Carmilla’s down, Danny’s finally got herself out of that chair. Can Laura, Perry and LaF get there in time to help? 
> 
> Let’s take this thing home, shall we?

Danny flinched as she heard a gunshot echo from the next room. She finished emptying the bag she'd found in the corner of the room, crouching before quickly sifting through the contents until she found her phone. Powering the phone on, Danny crept back towards the double doors and peered out.

"Aw, fuuu..." Danny hissed as she looked out into the nave and saw Carmilla sprawled on her back at the end of the aisle. J.P had fucking shot her. Danny stared at her phone, dismayed. She had zero signal and no way to call for back up.

Getting to her hands and knees, Danny crawled out through the double doors and took cover behind the pews. She peeked her head up enough to survey the room and could see no sign of J.P.

Carmilla groaned, drawing Danny’s attention. Danny crawled over to her, "Where are you shot?" Danny asked, starting to paw at Carmilla's torso.

"Hands off Agent Orange," Carmilla croaked as she swatted at Danny’s searching hands, "I'm bulletproof."

Danny sat back on her haunches and rolled her eyes, "You're wearing a vest?" Danny stood up and extended her hand to Carmilla, "You know you're really kinda terrible at this crime fighting stuff."

"Fuck you," Carmilla said half seriously as she accepted Danny’s assistance, "I'm guessing he went that way," Carmilla rubbed at her wounded shoulder and pointed at an open door to the side of the pulpit. As she steadied herself on her feet, Carmilla thought, if he was trying to kill me, he would have shot me in the head.

"Vigilantes first," Danny stepped to the side and let Carmilla lead.

On the other side of the door, they found no exit, only stairs leading up. At least what was left of some stairs. After the first set, they crumbled with rot and damp. Scaffolding had been erected and stretched high into the belfry. Working platforms were staggered, only put out on the levels where work was clearly ongoing, a large hole in the middle of each floored section with a winch at the top for pulling up materials. Rickety looking ladders were the only way up.

Danny stared up into the belfry and saw J.P’s diminishing figure almost at the top, "You've got to be kidding me," she breathed, the gash on her head was throbbing. Danny turned and saw Carmilla fidgeting with something under her jacket, "What are you doing?"

Carmilla smirked as she pulled out her grappling gun and pointed it towards the top of the scaffolding, "Later tater." She said, firing the gun and disappearing up a zip line.

"Fuck _you_ Karnstein!" Danny yelled as she stared at the ladder in front of her. Before she could lift her foot to start climbing, Danny was surprised to feel her phone spring to life in her pocket. She pulled it out muttering, “Finally!” under her breath. There was one bar of signal registering and a million missed calls from Laura. The least she could do was call for back up.

Carmilla felt the familiar rumble on the zip line that meant she was reaching the end of its pull. She readied herself and used the speed of the zip line to pop herself up over the guardrail of the scaffolding. Carmilla paused and caught her breath. William stood across the gap in the planked platform, Carmilla considered the odds. The quickest way to get to him was likely across the gap. If the winch was there to pull up heavy masonry, it would hold her weight.

"You don't want to kill me, Willy Boy." She stated flatly, as he half-heartedly raised his gun, "You would have shot me in the head if you'd wanted to kill me." Carmilla inched towards the edge of the platform.

"What's to stop me now?"

Carmilla shrugged, “What _is_ stopping you now?”

“Let me go,” William sighed, echoing his plea from the nave as he nervously looked over his shoulder at one of the openings of the belfry. The louvre were as damp and rotted as the stairs. It would be simple to pry them apart and escape.

“So that’s your plan?” Carmilla asked her hands up in submission as she crept her toes to the edge of the platform and waited, “Out on to the roof?”

“Just because I won’t kill you,” William threatened, “doesn’t mean I won’t shoot you again to buy myself time.”

Carmilla could feel a tingling against her right hand. She glanced quickly at the gauntlet and saw a flickering blue light across the knuckles. The Taser function had activated, or at least it was trying to activate. If she could just get close enough to William, she might be able to incapacitate him. He took his eyes off her for a second as he shoved at the boards covering the window. It was now or never. Carmilla bent her knees and jumped.

The plan had been simple. Sail across the gap on the winch rope, tase William, hand him over to Danny. Go home to Laura. However, Carmilla was learning, nothing was ever simple. One minute she was getting ready to launch from the rope, her right hand raised to strike William at the base of his neck and the next, LaF’s words from earlier were ringing in her ears ‘those aren’t quite ready yet’.

“Fuck,” Carmilla cursed, a blinding light caught across her right eye, her hand felt like it was on fire. Wait. Her hand was on fire. Carmilla shook the glove loose and completely botched her landing. The tip of her right boot made contact with the platform, but her left…

Carmilla’s stomach sank as she struggled to find solid ground. She was falling. Blindly she grabbed for the winch rope, but all that she got was rushing air between her fingers. Carmilla’s perception of time distorted, everything slowed until there was nothing. Nothing but the fall. It was impossible to tell up from down. She closed her eyes and counted the floors, how long it would take for the impact, if she could survive the fall. Carmilla squinted through her left eye and tried to recognise anything solid. She saw a flash of dull grey and reached out her hand. Her fingertips managed to grip the cold steel of the scaffolding and she prayed to Mattie’s goddess that this would at least slow her fall if not stop it.

Carmilla let out an almighty yowl as she felt the ligaments in her shoulder strain, twist and pop. As pain shot up her arm to her hand, her wonderful, wonderful hand that was clinging on to the lip of the scaffolding she realised, she wasn’t falling anymore. Suddenly, Carmilla felt strong arms round her waist.

“Let go.”

Carmilla did as she was told, thankful that hanging on was not her problem anymore. Once her rescuer had gently taken her weight and pulled Carmilla in onto the platform, she realised she was nose to nose with Danny,

"You can put me down, She-Hulk."

Danny gently set Carmilla on her feet, "Wait," she said pulling back and letting Carmilla steady herself, "that wasn't a ginger jab. I don't think you necessarily meant it as a compliment, but I'll take it."

Carmilla swayed, the fight starting to catch up with her body, her limbs growing heavy and tired. She leaned against the guardrail and looked up through the scaffolding.

“He gone?” Danny asked, following Carmilla’s gaze.

“Likely.” Carmilla gently probed her bloodied and bruised face. Her nose was definitely broken. Her right eye was swollen shut. Her left arm hung limply at her side. LaFontaine’s suit had done what they promised it would do, it was bulletproof, but her shoulder was definitely dislocated after that fall.

“So he’s your brother, huh? Nice family you got there.” Danny scoffed half-serious. She took a step back and looked at Carmilla in her Luna get up. Without the hood and mask on, it really was just Carmilla Karnstein in a ridiculous costume.

Carmilla started with a quippy response about Danny’s arrest rate of late but dropped it, "Thank you." She said instead, sincerely, “For the save.”

Danny looked away, "It was my fault she lost you once. I don't know if I'd forgive myself if it was my fault she lost you again."

"I know what you did," Carmilla shook her head and winced as the movement made her broken face ache, "So does Laura. You're an asshole."

Danny’s brow furrowed, “What I did?”

She’d just saved this dumb ass’s life. How did that make her the asshole?

“My postcards.” Carmilla clarified, “The letter.”

Danny at least had the decency to look embarrassed.

“You slept with my girlfriend,” Danny started. She realised how ridiculous that sounded so many years down the line. She sighed, she wasn’t even mad about it anymore, “I might be an asshole,” Danny felt a strange relief that it was finally out in the open. That the mail fraud wasn’t just her secret anymore, "but I'm also a human being."

Carmilla groaned as she pushed herself off the guardrail. She was feeling empathy for Danny. It felt squicky,

"I likely would have done the same," Carmilla admitted, "to have her love me for as long as possible." She took a step on shaky legs and stumbled.

Danny reached out and wrapped a steadying arm round Carmilla’s waist. Danny smiled, "Let's get the fuck out of here Karnstein."

"Carmilla," Carmilla winced as Danny helped her down the ladder.

"Excuse me?" Danny asked.

"You can call me Carmilla."

Danny shook her head and laughed, "You sappy, vigilante fuck."

Laura stepped quietly into the chapel with Perry and LaFontaine covering her. She didn’t know if the absent sounds of a fight were a good or a bad thing. Laura kept her eyes trained up the aisle, sweeping the room, as Perry broke off to her right and gently pushed open a set of double doors with the muzzle of her gun.

Perry motioned for Laura to join her, LaF covered them as they stepped into the room. Laura observed the mess of evidence. The broken window, the overturned chair with frayed rope hanging from it,

“They were definitely here,” Laura said, lowering her gun, “But where are they—”

A creaking door drew their attention back to the church nave. LaF, Laura and Perry stepped carefully out the side room, guns raised,

“Oh my god,” Laura holstered her pistol and ran up the aisle to where Danny and Carmilla were limping out the belfry door.

Perry went to step forward, assess who needed medical attention, when LaFontaine’s hand gently stopped her.

“Give them a moment.” They said quietly.

Perry nodded her understanding and stopped as she watched Laura throw her arms around Carmilla’s neck.

Carmilla let out a short grunt of pain, whilst Danny tried to untangle herself awkwardly. Before she could succeed, Laura slipped an arm round her and pulled her back in to the hug. Laura’s hand fisted in Danny’s jacket, holding her tight.

“You’re ok.” Laura said as she buried her face in Carmilla’s neck. Carmilla smelled like gunpowder and damp sweat. It was the most relieving, yet disgusting thing Laura had ever had the privilege of inhaling. Laura pulled back and frowned at the bloody mess of Carmilla’s face,

“It looks worse than it is, Cupcake.” Carmilla tried to smile, but only ended up cursing when she discovered any movement of her face sent shooting pain into her forehead.

Laura turned her attention cautiously to Danny, “You’re ok Dan? He didn’t hurt you?” Laura eyed the nasty gash on Danny’s forehead.

“I’m ok Laur’,” Danny replied, rubbing a soothing hand up and down Laura’s back, “We’re all ok.” Danny sniffed.

Approaching sirens forced the three of them apart.

“I thought I said no cops,” Carmilla accused Laura.

“It wasn’t me.” Laura held up her hands in surrender.

“I finally got a signal when you left me at the bottom of the scaffold like a dick.” Danny shrugged, “It seemed like the thing to do at the time.”

“We have to move out Carmilla,” LaFontaine said gently as they approached with Perry.

“I guess that’s your cue to get the fuck out of here Karnstein.” Danny smirked.

“Seriously?” Carmilla asked as she gratefully let LaF and Perry wrap supportive arms around her and take her weight. She flipped Danny the bird and smiled sweetly before retracting her finger and turning her fist outwards to Danny.

Danny bumped it with her own fist and shook her head, amused.

“Take my car,” Laura said, shoving her keys into LaF’s hand, “and take the back-road home. We’ll deal with our colleagues.”

Perry and LaFontaine lifted Carmilla’s weight, ushering her out the church and securing her in the back of Laura’s car. They pulled out and onto the back road just as the flashing lights of the police cars came into view.

#

Laura stood shivering in the cold night air outside the church as she gave her initial statement to Captain Manning. There would be a debriefing later. There would be countless hours of paperwork. For now, it was just the facts, dictated to the Captain, bathed in the stark white flood of a cruiser’s headlights. Maybe the facts was too generous a way of describing the story Danny and Laura had cooked up in the time it took their fellow officers to come bursting into the church. Essentially the truth was there, but they left out the part about the Styria City vigilante being Carmilla Karnstein. They left out the part where the attacker was Carmilla’s long lost brother, William Luce.

They did give up J.P Armitage though and painted a picture where the vigilante had shown up to help before chasing J.P off into the night. Laura had no doubt that Danny would do a great job of selling the fact she certainly hadn’t wanted the vigilante’s help when it came time for her statement.

When it seemed like the Captain had ran out of questions, Laura saw her opportunity, “Ma’am, I’m handing in my notice.”

“Excuse me Hollis?”

“My notice. This is me giving it. I…I don’t want to be a cop anymore.” Laura wasn’t sure exactly where this had come from so suddenly, but she was so tired of being a cop. It was making her miserable. She somehow, unexpectedly, understood that now.

“Well that’s a damn shame,” The Captain shook her head and sighed, “you’re one of the good ones Hollis.”

Laura nodded and extended her hand to the Captain.

“What’s next?” Captain Manning asked as she shook Laura’s hand.

“Y’know, I’m not sure.” Laura smiled and excused herself. She walked over to where Danny was sitting in the back of an ambulance, ten fresh stitches in her forehead.

“Hi,”

“Hi, short-stuff,” Danny replied, patting the empty spot next to her. The space blanket she was wrapped in crinkled as she scooted along to make a little more room for Laura to sit.

Laura sat down and they slumped against one another, exhausted. It was easy. It was familiar.

“No trace of him?” Danny asked

“None. He’s just poof,” Laura mimed a little puff of smoke with her hand, “gone.”

“I’ll sleep comfortably knowing that.” Danny laughed dryly.

“I could…” Laura trailed off, not quite knowing what the proper decorum was for inviting yourself to sleep at your ex’s apartment posttraumatic event.

“No. It’s fine.” Danny replied. She wrapped the blanket tighter around her.

A mildly awkward silence fell between them as they watched the Styria City police work the scene.

“Carmilla told me,” Danny said with a sigh, “that you know about the postcards.” She couldn’t bear to look Laura in the eye, “About the letter.”

Laura gripped the lip of the ambulance and fought the urge to run away from the conversation. Danny’s admission of guilt meant that she couldn’t hide her own anymore,

“Danny, I— “

“Don’t.” Danny shook her head and willed the tears forming in the corners of her eyes to stay there, “Please don’t apologise for something you did when you were 18.”

“How about all the hurt that something caused since then?” Laura could feel a lump forming in her own throat at the catch in Danny’s voice.

“How about we admit we’re both horribly flawed people who love each other despite that fact?” Danny sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek, “Platonically.”

Laura huffed a small laugh and nodded in agreement, “I handed in my notice.”

Danny didn’t say anything. She knew this was going to happen eventually. Being a cop was her dream. Not Laura’s.

Laura lay her head on Danny’s shoulder and they both relaxed again.

“Thank you,” Laura said a moment later.

“What exactly for?” Danny asked a little confused. Why was everyone thanking her today when it was the last thing she deserved?

“For saving her life.” Laura replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“How do you know I saved her life?” Danny smiled.

“What?” Laura said sitting up and looking Danny in the eye, “You think I didn’t see that fist bump. That you’re all buddy, buddy now.”

“You noticed that huh?”

“I did. Detected it in fact.”

Danny’s smile turned into a full-blown laugh. This was probably the most relaxed her and Laura had been in each other’s company in a very long time. It only took Carmilla to get them there. The irony was not lost on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we have it. The end of the plot. Mostly. There's a lil wrap up in the next chapter but it's largely just Hollstein nonsense. And smut. I promised y’all smut. I didn’t forget. Insert joke about the smut coming and so are the protagonists...  
> 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the minor plot I included with the smut. Things needed wrapped up! Anyways. Here’s the last chapter. Let me know if I stuck the landing.

“Hey,” Mulcahey grumbled as Laura and Danny practically knocked him over whilst he exited the elevator, he looked at his watch and then to his fellow detectives judgingly, “you’re out the door quick ladies, some lesbian emergency to tend to?”

Danny opened her mouth to retort, but thought better of it. She’d file a report about his shitty attitude with the Captain tomorrow. Instead, she gave a satisfied smirk as she pressed the close door button and watched as Laura gave the disgusting jerk the finger.

“Stop buzzing.” Danny commanded as the elevator began to move.

“Excuse me?” Laura said, shifting from foot to foot.

“You,” Danny said as she gestured in Laura’s general direction, “you’re all nervous and…buzzing. It’s freaking me out.”

Laura smiled and quit shuffling, “Dan, you’re projecting.”

“Only a little bit.” Danny returned Laura’s smile as the elevator dinged and they exited, heading for the parking garage, “But you are nervous.”

“Only a little bit.” Laura replied teasingly as she pushed open the swing door and held it for Danny.

“Are you mocking me short-stuff?” Danny laughed.

“Yes.” Laura nodded enthusiastically, “As my last day as your partner is now over, I have to get all my mocking in real quick.” Laura fished her keys out her pocket and unlocked her car, “Seriously though,” she started sincerely, “good luck with Kirsch tonight.”

Danny shrugged and hoped she wasn’t blushing as much as she thought she might be, “It’s a fourth date Laura, what can go wrong?” She stopped dead in her tracks as she thought about what could actually go wrong, “In fact, forget I said that.”

Laura shook her head and laughed.

Danny leaned on her open car door, “I’m gonna miss you short-stuff.”

“I’m meeting you at the bar on Sunday.” Laura replied, rolling her eyes at Danny’s over sentimentality.

“Ah, but we’re meeting as friends, not partners.” Danny clarified. It had been a while since they had been friends. “Can’t wait to hear what a first date with Carmilla Karnstein is like.” Danny scoffed.

“It’s not a…I mean technically…” Laura fumbled as she tried to define exactly what her meeting with Carmilla was tonight.

“Don’t hurt yourself overthinking it before your big date,” Danny said as she threw her bag onto the passenger seat of her car, “text me later.” Danny paused as she climbed into the car, sticking her head back up above the roof, “or you know, don’t, if you’re…busy.” She pulled her car door shut and started the engine.

Laura watched Danny pull out of the parking garage, still in a bit of a stupor. What exactly was her meeting with Carmilla tonight? It had been three weeks since William/J.P had escaped into the night. Three weeks since Laura had last seen Carmilla.

It had been decided that a little distance between Carmilla and the Styria City Police Department was probably a good idea. Carmilla needed time to heal and process. She needed to get her nose fixed. Perry had insisted that it was a job for a plastic surgeon, not her, and had sent Carmilla to visit the best one she knew, who just happened to be in Italy.

Three weeks. Carmilla had been in Europe for three weeks. The longest three weeks of Laura’s life. They had kept in touch, of course. Laura took great glee in feeding Carmilla the headlines in Styria City as the tabloids speculated about what she was doing in that particular area of Rome. Carmilla’s pride was no doubt going to have to take a little denting when she came home with a new nose and couldn’t exactly explain it wasn’t for reasons of vanity.

Three weeks. Phone calls and the occasional…interesting…phone call couldn’t really take the place of being in the same space. Laura’s cheeks coloured as she thought about the night that first picture message came through. How it had ended with her breathless but alone. Danny _was_ right, Laura was nervous.

Laura’s phone dinged in her pocket, bringing her back to the here and now. She couldn’t stop the broad smile stretching across her face when she saw it was from Carmilla. With slightly trembling hands, she opened the text,

_Meet me where it started._

Laura frowned in confusion, no ‘hello’, no ‘I’m back in town’, just a mildly cryptic demand. Where it started? She couldn’t mean… Laura tapped out her response, _You mean Styria Prep?_ , and pressed send.

 _The roof, specifically, Cutie._ Was Carmilla’s reply.

Carmilla paced across the roof at her old high school. She chewed her lip slightly as she looked at the silver dome platter and the table set up for dinner for two. Was it too much? The place, the setup? Was she being too much?

Carmilla turned as she heard the door click open, before she could say any of the witty and oh so clever greetings she had been going over in her head, Laura had pretty much run across the roof to where she stood and jumped into her arms.

Carmilla pressed forward, surging to meet Laura’s eager mouth. The kiss was sloppy and hot and Carmilla couldn’t quite keep her hands still as they roamed Laura’s curves. It had been a long three weeks.

Laura moaned as Carmilla’s hands landed in her back pockets, squeezing her ass a little and pulling her closer.

That sound, that moan, was driving Carmilla insane. It was low and desperate and Carmilla could feel it in the pit of her stomach each time Laura whimpered.

“Hey,” Laura greeted Carmilla breathlessly as they pulled apart for air.

“Hey” Carmilla smiled as she pressed her forehead against Laura’s, “Please remind me to go to Rome for three weeks more often if that’s how you welcome me home, Cupcake.”

Laura blushed as she tore herself away from Carmilla, concerned that if she didn’t untangle herself from Carmilla’s arms they would shortly be arrested for indecent exposure. She stepped curiously towards the table, “What’s all this?”

Carmilla shoved her hands in her pockets, unsure what to do with them now they were no longer touching Laura, “I told you I wanted to take you on a date.”

“What kind of cheap date to you take me for Carm?” Laura joked, cocking an eyebrow.

Carmilla laughed, “Hey, it worked the first time Sweetheart.” Carmilla dodged out of the way of the playful punch Laura threw at her arm.

Laura shook her head and watched as Carmilla circled round the table. She pulled out a chair, gesturing for Laura to sit. As Laura lowered herself into the chair, she felt Carmilla’s hot breath against her ear,

“I wanted to wake up with you this time.”

Laura shuddered uncontrollably with want, smooth move Karnstein.

“So, what’s for dinner?” Laura asked as Carmilla sat down opposite her. She expected some sort of lewd answer, like ‘you’, but instead Carmilla just lifted the platter lid with an exaggerated flourish. Laura burst out laughing. It was a half pint of whiskey and a decidedly better-looking rolled joint than either of them could have built in their teens,

“Oh god, you didn’t kick some poor senior out their room for the night too did you.”

Carmilla shook her head no, laughing too hard to reply.

As Laura reached for the whiskey, she noticed a titanium bracelet with a red flashing beacon on Carmilla’s wrist, “Is that something we should be worried about?”

“Huh?” Carmilla tore herself away from Laura’s smile and looked at her wrist, “Shit, yeah, this is…it’s easier if I just show you.” Carmilla’ placed her thumb and forefinger on either side of the flashing beacon, a digital map of Styria City projected from the bracelet, “LaF made it.” Carmilla said proudly. She pointed at a flashing dot on the map, “Tells me where there’s trouble.”

“Wow,” Laura said, genuinely impressed.

“I…” Carmilla trailed off looking pained.

“You gotta go.” Laura kicked her feet up on the table, “Don’t let me stop you Carm. I am officially off duty.” Laura lit the joint and smiled.

Carmilla stood and moved to Laura’s side, “Justice doesn’t take a night off.” She said gruffly, a poor imitation of what her voice sounded like through Luna’s hood. Carmilla was pleased when Laura laughed again, she was never going to get tired of making Laura Hollis laugh.

Carmilla leant down and placed a gentle kiss on Laura’s lips. It was sweet and quick, a promise of later.

“Be careful.” Laura mumbled against Carmilla’s lips.

“I will.”

With a wink, Carmilla was gone.

#

Later that evening, Carmilla stepped into the open doorway of her bedroom, absentmindedly towelling her damp hair dry. After the workout she got chasing some idiots (who had mugged a pregnant woman), she hadn’t waited to reach her own bathroom to wash the filth and grime of the night from her body, preferring instead to clean up in the bunker. 

Carmilla leant against the doorjamb and smiled indulgently at the sight that met her. Laura was sitting with her legs tucked up underneath her, wearing one of Carmilla’s old oversized sweaters. She was reading whatever book Carmilla had abandoned last when sitting there.

“Hey,” Carmilla said softly, she had hoped Laura would maybe be here waiting for her when she got back, but they hadn’t made a concrete plan.

“Hey,” Laura greeted her back with a huge smile.

It was only as Laura unfolded her legs and stood to cross the room that Carmilla could see Laura’s legs were bare. The thought that the sweater was possibly the only thing Laura was wearing sent a white-hot jolt to Carmilla’s core. She pushed herself off the doorjamb and stepped into Laura’s space.

Carmilla sighed contentedly as she brought her forehead to rest against Laura’s. Laura’s arms lifted around Carmilla’s shoulders,

“Is that leopard print on your robe?” Laura teased as she placed a gentle, welcoming kiss to Carmilla’s lips.

"I can think of better things to talk about than that right now Cutie.” Carmilla answered pulling Laura into a more heated kiss.

“Mmm, like what?” Laura asked breathlessly as they broke for air.

Carmilla’s hands settled on Laura’s waist, squeezing possessively, “Like what you’re wearing under that sweater?”

Laura blushed and huffed out a laugh as she felt one of Carmilla’s hands trail lower, lifting the hem of the sweater slowly and tickling up her thigh. She laughed again at the disgruntled whine that fell from Carmilla’s lips when her fingers met the fabric of her underwear,

“You can get rid of those if you want.” Laura whispered against Carmilla’s lips, mentally high fiving herself for getting through the sentence without her brain short circuiting.

“I think I might like that very much.” Carmilla smirked as she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of Laura’s underwear and dropped to her knees. She slowly pulled the offending clothing down Laura’s legs.

Laura shuddered as she stepped out of her underwear and impatiently pulled Carmilla back up to face her, “I can’t,” she surged forward and kissed Carmilla hard, “do slow and gentle right now,” Laura pulled away, breathing heavily, “I’ve wanted this for too long.”#

Carmilla smiled wolfishly and nipped at Laura’s jaw, “If you can’t do slow and gentle, what exactly _do_ you want Cupcake?”

“I…I…” Laura faltered and struggled to pull together a coherent sentence as Carmilla continued the assault with her lips down Laura’s neck.

Laura took hold of Carmilla’s chin and pulled them eye to eye, she needed those lips away from her skin if she was going to speak clearly, “What I want,” she stated firmly not breaking eye contact as she stepped back against the nearest wall, “is for you to put that above average strength of yours to use and,” Laura leaned forward slightly and whispered the rest of her request into Carmilla’s ear. She stepped back, pulling Carmilla’s sweater off and tossed it to the side.

Carmilla’s pupils blew wide as she stared at Laura in wonder and lust, “I can definitely do that.” She nodded enthusiastically as she situated her hands just below Laura’s bare buttocks. Carmilla attempted to kiss Laura again but struggled as she couldn’t stop smiling at the thought of what she was about to do. Bending her knees slightly, she grabbed Laura by the back of the thighs and began to lift.

Laura squeaked out a giggle, placing a hand against the wall to steady herself. She drew a soft breath and moaned as she felt herself lifted effortlessly through the air and her legs draped over Carmilla’s shoulders. Realising the angle wasn’t quite right, Laura braced her shoulders against the wall and pushed upwards, raising herself those last necessary couple of inches.

Carmilla faltered for a moment, forgetting what she was doing there exactly, lost and completely punch drunk on the scent of Laura’s heady arousal. She allowed herself a further moment of indulgence and placed a gentle, reverent kiss at the top of Laura’s right thigh. When this earned her a hitch of breath and a frustrated curse, Carmilla chuckled and decided there would definitely be time made for gentle and slow later.

Carmilla took another deep breath of Laura’s arousal and licked a hot stripe from bottom to top. Laura whined and arched away from the wall. Carmilla planted her feet to strengthen her base before she licked again, top to bottom, squeezing Laura’s backside, letting her know she had her, she wasn’t going to drop her. Carmilla felt some of Laura’s weight settle back against the wall so, she held her tongue firm and ground it gently against Laura’s clit. She alternated, tongue to lips and back again, sucking gently every now and then, revelling in the needy whines and moans coming from above her. When she felt Laura’s hips begin to stutter and then rock, Carmilla focused on keeping that rhythm.

Laura’s grip in her hair became tighter and Carmilla knew she must be close. Every inch of her body was burning with exertion, as Laura bucked more wantonly against her face. Carmilla was fighting to keep Laura’s weight under control when Laura cried out, a shuddering, guttering moan of pure pleasure and tensed suddenly, a new wetness flooding Carmilla’s mouth.

When Carmilla felt Laura’s grip loosen in her hair, she stopped her soft ministrations and gently let Laura slide from her shoulders. Urging Laura to wrap her legs round her waist and her arms around her shoulders, Carmilla pushed them off the wall and turned towards her bed. She smiled as Laura pressed lazy and grateful kisses to the side of her face,

“How was that Sweetheart? Not too gentle or slow?” Carmilla teased slightly as she lowered Laura on to the bed and climbed in beside her.

Laura gave a playfully indignant snort as she lay, boneless and content. When she finally opened her eyes again and turned her head, she was wowed by the sight of a now fully naked Carmilla propped up on one elbow and looking at her like she had hung the stars in the sky. Laura shifted to mirror Carmilla’s position and smiled a little shyly, “Hey,” she offered, “that was…wow.” She inhaled, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks.

Carmilla hummed an agreed affirmative as she closed the small gap between them and tenderly pressed her lips against Laura’s. Her body already taught with want, Carmilla shuddered as Laura drew her finger tips lightly from her shoulders, down her arms, before settling her hand at Carmilla’s hip.

“This night has been pretty perfect, but I can think of one more thing that I want.” Laura let her fingers dance over Carmilla’s toned stomach, tracing over her rib cage and under the curve of her breasts, “I want to take care of you.” Laura whispered against Carmilla’s lips.

Carmilla grabbed at the hand that had been lazily tracing patterns and setting her skin on fire, “Please?” She let out a throaty whine and pushed Laura’s hand further down.

Laura knew it would be cruel to tease, after all it was her that demanded no soft or gentle, but she couldn’t help the satisfied smirk that crossed her face as she ghosted her fingertips between Carmilla’s legs and Carmilla lifted her hips impatiently seeking more friction.

Carmilla chased Laura’s lips, pulling her into a filthy kiss that sent Laura’s head spinning. A not so subtle buck of Carmilla’s hips reminded Laura of the task at hand and she finally pressed the pad of one finger firmly against Carmilla’s clit. Carmilla shuddered deeply at the contact, breaking the kiss and panting into Laura’s mouth. Bringing her middle finger up to join the other, Laura began a slow, steady circling rhythm.

Carmilla’s breath faltered as Laura added a little more pressure and reversed her movements. Laura shifted her weight and encouraged Carmilla fully on to her back, leaning in she teased at a hard nipple with her tongue, licking and nipping as she increased the speed of her fingers.

“I love seeing you like this,” Laura whined, the want between her own legs throbbing again.

“I think you love,” Carmilla moaned as Laura brought her closer to climax, “being in control.” Mirth danced in her blown wide pupils, goading Laura into showing her exactly who was in charge.

Laura snorted defiantly, she knew what Carmilla was doing and she was only too happy to oblige. This time. There would definitely be time enough later to show her how in control Laura loved to be.

Carmilla’s eyelids fluttered shut and she moaned as the circles on her clit quickened again. Her body trembled, knuckles turning white as she gripped the sheets. A quiet chant of _fuck, fuck, fuck_ left her mouth as she bucked into Laura’s hand and tensed all at once. Carmilla stilled, puffing out a satisfied breath and letting her full weight relax into the bed, “Well that,” she pulled Laura tight to her side, “was a kick.”

Laura woke the next morning, a pleasant ache in her body, her legs tangled with Carmilla’s, her arm thrown protectively around Carmilla’s waist. Laura couldn’t keep the broad smile off her face. She’d finally had Carmilla under her, in front of her and above her and now, she was pressed right against her. Of course, Carmilla Karnstein, bad ass vigilante fighter of crime and injustice was a little spoon. The sheets and Carmilla’s body created a nice cocoon of body heat that Laura wouldn’t have left for all the world. Laura snuggled in deeper and murmured sleepily,

“I love you.”

“I’m awake and I heard that,” Carmilla replied, teasing, her voice hoarse from the amount of times she had ended up screaming a chorus of _Laura, Laura, Laura_ into the night.

“Good.” Laura hummed, “I hate having to repeat myself.”

“Oh, but Cutie, I like the way it sounds.” Carmilla turned in Laura’s arms so they were face-to-face, forehead-to-forehead.

“Hey,” Carmilla said gently.

“Hey,” Laura replied, “I love you.” She stated again.

“I am fond of you also,” Carmilla replied, her eyes still closed, her face totally serious, “Now ssh, it’s still dark in here which means it’s still far too early for conversation and declarations of love.”

Laura burst out laughing and started to untangle herself from Carmilla, “Oh so it’s like that?” she said trying to sound hurt. Doing her best to wiggle against Carmilla’s hold, attempting to leave the bed.

Carmilla kept a lazy but firm grip on Laura, laughing as she settled her back in her arms. Once the mirth and silliness had passed, Carmilla looked Laura seriously in the eyes and said with all the sincerity she could muster, “I love you too. It was always only you.”

Laura snuggled comfortably back in to Carmilla’s arms and sighed contentedly. This time she believed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. There we have it. The End. Thank you for joining me on this completely self-indulgent journey. I hope y’all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you again for all the comments and kudos.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know folks. Feedback is life and all that.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * ["Fuck Joss Whedon": a found poem of AO3 tags](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29397195) by [thenewbuzwuzz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenewbuzwuzz/pseuds/thenewbuzwuzz)




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